Sphinx ligustri

Sphinx ligustri
File:Sphinx.ligustri.7631.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Genus:	Sphinx
Species:	S. ligustri
Binomial name
Sphinx ligustri Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms
Sphinx chishimensis Matsumura, 1929 Sphinx spiraeae Esper, 1800 Sphinx ligustri albescens Tutt, 1904 Sphinx ligustri amurensis Oberthür, 1886 Sphinx ligustri brunnea Tutt, 1904 Sphinx ligustri brunnescens (Lempke, 1959) Sphinx ligustri cingulata (Lempke, 1964) Sphinx ligustri eichleri Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1992 Sphinx ligustri fraxini Dannehl, 1925 Sphinx ligustri grisea (Closs, 1917) Sphinx ligustri incerta Tutt, 1904 Sphinx ligustri intermedia Tutt, 1904 Sphinx ligustri lutescens Tutt, 1904 Sphinx ligustri nisseni Rothschild & Jordan, 1916 Sphinx ligustri obscura Tutt, 1904 Sphinx ligustri pallida Tutt, 1904 Sphinx ligustri perversa Gehlen, 1928 Sphinx ligustri postrufescens (Lempke, 1959) Sphinx ligustri rosacea Rebel, 1910 Sphinx ligustri seydeli Debauche, 1934 Sphinx ligustri subpallida Tutt, 1904 Sphinx ligustri typica Tutt, 1904 Sphinx ligustri unifasciata Gschwandner, 1912 Sphinx ligustri weryi Rungs, 1977 Sphinx ligustri zolotuhini Eitschberger & Lukhtanov, 1996

Sphinx ligustri, known as the Privet Hawk Moth, is a species of moth found in most of the Palearctic ecozone.

It has a 12 centimetres (4.7 in) wingspan (generally deflexed at rest), and is found in urban areas, forests and woodlands.

The male Privet Hawk-moth can make a hissing sound, if disturbed, by rubbing together a set of scales and spines at the end of its abdomen.

Their larva is usually found between July and August: buried in the earth preparing to become a pupa. They then fly in the following June.

Diet

As its name describes, the caterpillars feed on privets, as well as ash trees, lilacs, jasmine, and a number of other plants.

Gallery

• Sphinx ligustri MHNT dos femelle.jpg

  ♀ Dorsal side. MHNT

• Sphinx ligustri MHNT ventre femelle.jpg

  ♀ △ Ventral side. MHNT

• Sphinx ligustri MHNT dos male.jpg

  ♂Dorsal side. MHNT

• Sphinx ligustri MHNT ventre male.jpg

  ♂△ Ventral side. MHNT

• Sphinx ligustri 20050824 823 part.jpg

  Caterpillar

• Sphinx ligustri pupating1.jpg

  Pupating

• Sphinx ligustri pupating3.jpg

  Pupa

• Sphinx ligustri from plate 284 of naturalhistoryof899dono.jpg

  Pupa, caterpillar, and adult

References

• http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=401 - The entry for this species on UKMoths
• http://australianmuseum.net.au/Privet-Hawk-Moth - The entry for this species on Australian Museum