Hyles nicaea, the Mediterranean hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Leonardo de Prunner in 1798.
| Mediterranean hawk-moth | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Sphingidae |
| Genus: | Hyles |
| Species: | H. nicaea
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| Binomial name | |
| Hyles nicaea (de Prunner, 1798)[1]
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| Synonyms | |
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Distribution edit
The nominate subspecies is found from southern Portugal and Spain though southern Europe to Turkey. It is also found on the Balearic Islands and in south-western Bulgaria.
Description edit
The wingspan is 80–100 mm.
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Female Hyles nicaea nicaea -
Female Hyles nicaea nicaea, underside -
Male Hyles nicaea nicaea -
Male Hyles nicaea nicaea, underside
Biology edit
Adults are on wing in June in one generation. At times there is a partial second generation in August. Subspecies H. n. castissima is on wing from May to June and from July to August in two generations. Subspecies H. n. orientalis is on wing from June to July in one generation. Subspecies H. n. sheljuzkoi is on wing in May and July/August in two to three generations.
The larvae feed on Euphorbia species, including Euphorbia nicaeensis. Subspecies H. n. orientalis feeds on Euphorbia petrophila and Euphorbia seguieriana and H. n. sheljuzkoi has been recorded on Euphorbia oxydonta in Jordan.
Subspecies edit
- Hyles nicaea nicaea
- Hyles nicaea lathyrus (eastern Afghanistan, north-western India and Xizang)
- Hyles nicaea castissima (Atlas mountains of North Africa)
- Hyles nicaea sheljuzkoi (Lebanon and northern Israel to western Xinjiang in China)
- Hyles nicaea orientalis (southern Crimea and western Transcaucasia)
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Female Hyles nicaea castissima -
Female Hyles nicaea castissima, underside
Gallery edit
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A Hyles nicaea caterpillar on the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains, near Jaban, Damavand, Iran, at 2870 m elevation in alpine scrubland. -
In the same location
References edit
- ^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
External links edit
- Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
- Pittaway, A. R.; Kitching, I. J. "Hyles nicaea sheljuzkoi (Dublitzky, 1928) -- Greater spurge hawkmoth". Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- Lepiforum e.V.
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