Theretra orpheus

Theretra orpheus
Theretra orpheus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Theretra
Species: T. orpheus
Binomial name
Theretra orpheus
(Herrich-Schaffer, 1854)[1]
Synonyms
  • Chaerocampa orpheus Herrich-Schäffer, 1854
  • Panacra natalensis Rothschild, 1894
  • Theretra orpheus megalesia Viette, 1956

Theretra orpheus is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is known from most of Africa.[2]

The length of the forewings is 22-26 mm. The forewings are narrow and long, the termen rounded, espcially in females, the apex is not very acute. The body is dark brown to dark grey, with numerous paler longitudinal lines. The forewings are grey, brown or ochreous brown, with one or more curved dark lines running from the inner margin near the base to the apex, separated by a conspicuous short pale stripe at the inner margin. The basal and anterior portion of the wing is usually darker. The hindwings are dark blackish grey.

Subspecies

  • Theretra orpheus orpheus (woodland and forest from the Cape to East Africa)
  • Theretra orpheus gauthieri Darge, 1991 (Princípe)
  • Theretra orpheus intensa Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Comoro Islands)
  • Theretra orpheus malgassica Clark, 1933 (Madagascar)
  • Theretra orpheus pelius Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Uganda, Congo to Sierra Leone)
  • Theretra orpheus scotinus Rothschild & Jordan, 1915 (Nigeria)

References

  1. ^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. http://www.cate-sphingidae.org/taxonomy/Theretra/monteironis.html. Retrieved 2011-10-25. 
  2. ^ "Revised Catalogue of the African Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) with Descriptions of the East African species". Biodiversitylibrary.org. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/jeanhs/XXVI%20No.3%20(115)_1_1967_Carcasson.pdf. Retrieved 2011-10-25. 
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