Hippotion scrofa
Encyclopedia
Hippotion scrofa is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is found in Australia
, New Caledonia
and Vanuatu
.
The wingspan
is about 70 mm. It is similar to Hippotion brennus
and Hippotion joiceyi
but distinguishable from the former by the lack of paired subdorsal white spots on the abdomen and from the latter by the lack of a dorsal white median line on the thorax.
Larvae feed on Epilobium
, Coprosma repens
, Ipomoea
and Fuchsia
.
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 found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
and Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
.
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 about 70 mm. It is similar to Hippotion brennus
Hippotion brennus
Hippotion brennus is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is known from the Moluccas, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and north-eastern Australia....
and Hippotion joiceyi
Hippotion joiceyi
Hippotion joiceyi is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found in Indonesia.The length of the forewings is about 30 mm. It is very similar to Hippotion brennus form brennus but immediately distinguishable by the lack of paired subdorsal white spots on the abdomen. The frons and upperside of the...
but distinguishable from the former by the lack of paired subdorsal white spots on the abdomen and from the latter by the lack of a dorsal white median line on the thorax.
Larvae feed on Epilobium
Epilobium
Epilobium is a genus in the family Onagraceae, containing about 160-200 species of flowering plants with a worldwide distribution. They are generally abundant in the subarctic, temperate and subantarctic regions, whereas in the subtropics and tropics they are restricted to the cool montane biomes,...
, Coprosma repens
Coprosma repens
Coprosma repens is a shrub or small tree that is native to New Zealand. Common names include Taupata, Mirror Bush, Looking-glass Bush, New Zealand Laurel and Shiny Leaf.-Description:...
, Ipomoea
Ipomoea
Ipomoea is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 500 species. Most of these are called "morning glories", but this can refer to related genera also. Those formerly separated in Calonyction are called "moonflowers"...
and Fuchsia
Fuchsia
Fuchsia is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. The first, Fuchsia triphylla, was discovered on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola in 1703 by the French Minim monk and botanist, Charles Plumier...
.