Theretra orpheus 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 most of 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 length of the forewings is 22-26 mm. The forewings are narrow and long, the termen rounded, espcially in females, the apex is not very acute. The body is dark brown to dark grey, with numerous paler longitudinal lines. The forewings are grey, brown or ochreous brown, with one or more curved dark lines running from the inner margin near the base to the apex, separated by a conspicuous short pale stripe at the inner margin. The basal and anterior portion of the wing is usually darker. The hindwings are dark blackish grey.

Subspecies

• Theretra orpheus orpheus (woodland and forest from the Cape to East Africa)
• Theretra orpheus gauthieri Darge, 1991 (Princípe)
• Theretra orpheus intensa Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Comoro Islands)
• Theretra orpheus malgassica Clark, 1933 (Madagascar)
• Theretra orpheus pelius Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Uganda, Congo to Sierra Leone)
• Theretra orpheus scotinus Rothschild & Jordan, 1915 (Nigeria)