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Daphnis hypothous hypothous (Cramer, 1780)
Jade Hawkmoth
Sphinx hypothous Cramer, 1780, Uitlandsche Kapellen (Papillons exot.) 3: 165.
Type locality: Amboina [Ambon Island, Seram, Indonesia].
BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION
Palaeotropical; Oriental region.
ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION
Wingspan: 86--120mm. Very like a dark D. nerii, but distinguished by a white spot at the forewing apex; head and collar uniformly dark purple-brown, thorax and first two abdominal segments dark green.
ADULT BIOLOGY
D. hypothous is a very fast flyer, attracted to both sweet-smelling flowers and light, but little else is known of its behaviour.
FLIGHT-TIME
Migrant. Multi-brooded in the Oriental region.
EARLY STAGES
OVUM: Very similar to that of D. nerii.
LARVA: Full-fed 60--100mm. Dimorphic: green or pale red.
Has never been found within the western Palaearctic region, but fully-grown examples from India (Bell & Scott, 1937) are usually pale apple-green, the thoracic segments being darker than the abdominal segments. A white dorso-lateral line, tinged with orange at each end, extends from thoracic segment 2 to the base of the horn, and, on the abdominal segments, is edged with dark green above and sky-blue below. Laterally these segments bear dark green, oblique stripes and yellow dots, with a large, blue eye-spot on thoracic segment 3. The brown, tubercled horn, unlike that of D. nerii, is fully formed, stout, erect and slightly curved, similar in appearance to that of A. convolvuli. Although most larvae are green, some may be pale red. Before pupation, the whole body assumes a plum colour blotched with dark red.
Hostplants. Rubiaceae, such as Cinchona, Wendlandia and Uncaria in India (Bell & Scott, 1937).
PUPA: 60--80mm. Similar to that of D. nerii, but with a thin black line running along the proboscis, over the head and along the whole dorsal surface, terminating, in this species, in a broad, triangular cremaster tipped with two points. The spiracles are located in a dark lateral band which runs parallel to two others along the ventral surface of the abdomen. Formed in a loosely spun cocoon among debris on the ground. Does not overwinter.
DISTRIBUTION
The nominate subspecies sometimes occurs in the western Palaearctic region as a rare vagrant. However, the frequency is not known because of its confusion with D. nerii. During the last hundred years a number have been discovered within the Middle East; one was even found in Scotland late last century but was probably imported as a pupa with cargo. India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
OTHER SUBSPECIES
New Guinea and northern Australia as the very distinct subsp. pallescens Butler, 1875.
This image scanned from a 35mm slide using an OptikFilm 7200i scanner. In Photoshop, noise reduced with Neat Image, resized and sharpened. No cropping or changes to exposure/colour.
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