Theretra celata
Encyclopedia
Theretra celata is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is known from the Moluccas east to Vanuatu
and south to Australia
. It is often treated as a subspecies of Theretra clotho
.
The length of the forewings is 35-42 mm for males and 41.5-48.9 mm for females. It is similar to Theretra clotho clotho, but overall tone generally more yellowish. The forewing underside has a blackish-brown area which is generally less extended than in Theretra clotho clotho. The hindwing upperside has a buff median band that is broader than in Theretra clotho clotho and extended more or less to the costal margin.
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 the Moluccas east to 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...
and south to 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...
. It is often treated as a subspecies of Theretra clotho
Theretra clotho
Theretra clotho is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found from Sri Lanka, India , Nepal and Myanmar, east through China to Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, and then south-east through South East Asia as far as the Lesser Sunda Islands and Timor in Indonesia...
.
The length of the forewings is 35-42 mm for males and 41.5-48.9 mm for females. It is similar to Theretra clotho clotho, but overall tone generally more yellowish. The forewing underside has a blackish-brown area which is generally less extended than in Theretra clotho clotho. The hindwing upperside has a buff median band that is broader than in Theretra clotho clotho and extended more or less to the costal margin.
Subspecies
- Theretra celata celata
- Theretra celata babarensis Eitschberger, 2005 (Moluccas)