Hippotion eson
Encyclopedia
Hippotion eson is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is very common in most habitats throughout the Ethiopian Region, including Madagascar
and the Seychelles
. It is a migratory
species.
The length of the forewings is 32-40 mm and the wingspan
is 74-84 mm. The head and thorax are light brown, edged with white laterally. The abdomen is slightly paler, with numerous faint darker longitudinal lines on the dorsum and a broader, indistinct golden line on each side. The forewings are light brown with several darker almost straight marginal and diagonal lines meeting at the apex. There is a very small black stigma. The hindwings are red with an irregular black spot at the base and black at the costa. The tornus is fawn, the marginal band narrow, light brown and fading towards the tornus.
The larvae feed on the leaves of Zantedeschia aethiopica
.
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 very common in most habitats throughout the Ethiopian Region, including Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
. It is a migratory
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...
species.
The length of the forewings is 32-40 mm and the wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 74-84 mm. The head and thorax are light brown, edged with white laterally. The abdomen is slightly paler, with numerous faint darker longitudinal lines on the dorsum and a broader, indistinct golden line on each side. The forewings are light brown with several darker almost straight marginal and diagonal lines meeting at the apex. There is a very small black stigma. The hindwings are red with an irregular black spot at the base and black at the costa. The tornus is fawn, the marginal band narrow, light brown and fading towards the tornus.
The larvae feed on the leaves of Zantedeschia aethiopica
Zantedeschia aethiopica
Zantedeschia aethiopica ; syn. Calla aethiopica L., Richardia africana Kunth, Richardia aethiopica Spreng., Colocasia aethiopica Spreng...
.