Hippotion aporodes
Encyclopedia
Hippotion aporodes is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is known from forests from Ivory Coast to Congo
and Uganda
. In West Africa it is a strong migrant
, moving regularly north and south with the Intertropical Convergence Zone.
The length of the forewings is 28-34 mm. It is very closely allied to Hippotion celerio
. It differs in being consistently darker, in the oblique band of the forewings being more evenly curved, buff instead of silvery and enclosing three narrow but distinct, dark brown parallel lines. The hindwings are as in Hippotion celerio, but the crimson patch at the base is deeper in tone, the blackish markings are better developed, invading most of the wing with the exception of the base. The inner margin and a series of intemervular post-median spots are crimson.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Sphingidae
Sphingidae
Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...
family. It is known from forests from Ivory Coast to Congo
Congo Basin
The Congo Basin is the sedimentary basin that is the drainage of the Congo River of west equatorial Africa. The basin begins in the highlands of the East African Rift system with input from the Chambeshi River, the Uele and Ubangi Rivers in the upper reaches and the Lualaba River draining wetlands...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. In West Africa it is a strong migrant
Lepidoptera migration
Lepidoptera migration is a biological phenomenon whereby populations of butterflies or moths migrate over long distances to areas where they cannot settle for long periods of time...
, moving regularly north and south with the Intertropical Convergence Zone.
The length of the forewings is 28-34 mm. It is very closely allied to Hippotion celerio
Hippotion celerio
Hippotion celerio, known as the Vine Hawk-Moth or Silver-striped Hawk-Moth, is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found in Africa, Southern Europe, Central and Southern Asia and Australia. It can be found further north, because of its migratory nature.-Colouring and marks :The body and forewing...
. It differs in being consistently darker, in the oblique band of the forewings being more evenly curved, buff instead of silvery and enclosing three narrow but distinct, dark brown parallel lines. The hindwings are as in Hippotion celerio, but the crimson patch at the base is deeper in tone, the blackish markings are better developed, invading most of the wing with the exception of the base. The inner margin and a series of intemervular post-median spots are crimson.