Daphnis nerii

Daphnis nerii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Genus:	Daphnis
Species:	D. nerii
Binomial name
Daphnis nerii (Linnaeus, 1758)[1]
Synonyms
Sphinx nerii Linnaeus, 1758 Deilephila nerii Daphnis nerii nigra Schmidt, 1914 Daphnis nerii infernelutea Saalmüller, 1884 Daphnis nerii confluens Closs, 1912 Daphnis nerii bipartita Gehlen, 1934

Daphnis nerii (formerly Deilephila nerii), known as the Oleander Hawk-moth, is a moth of the Sphingidae family.

Distribution

Distribution map of Daphnis nerii. Blue: Summer distribution. Green: All year distribution.

Daphnis nerii is a large hawk-moth found in wide areas of Africa and Asia. It is a migratory species, flying to parts of eastern and southern Europe during the summer. Daphnis nerii (Oleander Sphinx Moth or Oleander Hawk-Moth) is one of the most beautiful butterfly-like patterned moths on Earth.

Feeding habits

The adults feed on nectar of a great variety of flowers. They have a preference for fragrant species like petunia, jasmine and honeysuckle. They are especially active in the twilight time, hovering over the flowers after sunset.

The caterpillars feed mainly on oleander (Nerium oleander) leaves, a highly toxic plant to which toxicity they are immune. They also may feed on most plants of the Apocynaceae family, such as Adenium obesum, and Tabernaemontana divaricata and Alstonia scholaris in India.

Life cycle

The newborn caterpillars are pale blue. Their color changes to green as they grow. They have two spots resembling eyes on the forefront of their body.

The chrysalis is pale reddish or brownish-white and has a wax-like appearance. It lies directly on the earth, under moss or dry leaves.

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  Caterpillar
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  Pupa

Related species

• Daphnis hypothous, found in South and Southeast Asia.

References

1. ^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. http://www.cate-sphingidae.org/taxonomy/Daphnis/nerii.html. Retrieved 2011-10-26.