Rhagastis lunata
Encyclopedia
Rhagastis lunata is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is known from Nepal
, north-eastern India
, Thailand
, south-western China
and Vietnam
.
The wingspan
is 72-86 mm. The antenna are longer and thicker than in all other Rhagastis
species, except Rhagastis gloriosa
(from which it differs in the lack of dark red bands on the forewing upperside, the apical black scaling being confined to the distal segments). The forewing upperside has a characteristic bluish-white submarginal line formed of crescent-shaped marks, the horns of which are directed basally. Both wings are pinkish-red, with traces of the ochreous ground colour distally. The black basal area of the forewing is reduced to a streak or patch behind the discal cell. The hindwing upperside has a well-defined orange-beige median band, including a series of vein dots.
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 Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, north-eastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, south-western China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
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 72-86 mm. The antenna are longer and thicker than in all other Rhagastis
Rhagastis
Rhagastis is a genus of moths in the Sphingidae family.-Species:*Rhagastis acuta - *Rhagastis albomarginatus - *Rhagastis binoculata - Matsumura 1909*Rhagastis castor -...
species, except Rhagastis gloriosa
Rhagastis gloriosa
Rhagastis gloriosa is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found along the southern slopes of the Himalaya in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, north-eastern India and northern Myanmar, east to central Yunnan in China. It has also been recorded from the extreme northwest of Thailand and northern Vietnam.The...
(from which it differs in the lack of dark red bands on the forewing upperside, the apical black scaling being confined to the distal segments). The forewing upperside has a characteristic bluish-white submarginal line formed of crescent-shaped marks, the horns of which are directed basally. Both wings are pinkish-red, with traces of the ochreous ground colour distally. The black basal area of the forewing is reduced to a streak or patch behind the discal cell. The hindwing upperside has a well-defined orange-beige median band, including a series of vein dots.