Hippotion gracilis
Encyclopedia
Hippotion gracilis is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is known from most of sub-Sahara
n Africa
.
The wingspan
is 64.6-71.1 mm for males and 66.9-71.1 mm for females. It is very similar to Hippotion eson
, but in general smaller, paler and with a less contrasting forewing upperside pattern. The forewing upperside is also very similar to Hippotion eson, but the first and second postmedian lines are thinner and paler and not fused. On average, the discal spot is smaller.
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 most of sub-Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
n Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
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 64.6-71.1 mm for males and 66.9-71.1 mm for females. It is very similar to Hippotion eson
Hippotion eson
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....
, but in general smaller, paler and with a less contrasting forewing upperside pattern. The forewing upperside is also very similar to Hippotion eson, but the first and second postmedian lines are thinner and paler and not fused. On average, the discal spot is smaller.