Theretra monteironis is a moth

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 dry habitas from KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....

 to eastern Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

.

The length of the forewings is 20-23 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 48-62 mm. It is very similar to Theretra perkeo

Theretra perkeo

Theretra perkeo is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is known from the arid areas north of the equatorial forest belt, from Senegal to northern Uganda....

, but the ground colour is pale brown without a trace of pink. The pale lines and stripes on the wings and body are much more prominent and almost silvery.

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...

.