Chamaesphecia hungarica
Encyclopedia
The Hungarian Clearwing Moth (Chamaesphecia hungarica) is a moth
of the Sesiidae
family. It is native to the south-eastern Czech Republic
and Slovakia
, Austria
, Hungary
, Serbia
and Croatia
. It was originally approved for introduction into the United States
in 1993. It has been released at several leafy spurge-infested sites in Montana
and North Dakota
.
Adults are 10-14 mm in length. They are dark brown with yellow markings. The wings are mostly clear, with dark margins and brown and yellow markings. In Europe it is usually found in moist loamy soils and partial shade near riverbanks, swampy areas and ditches. Here, adults emerge from mid May to late July.
The larvae feed on plants in the subgenus Esula of the genus Euphorbia. The larvae mine the stem and move into the pith area. They overwinter in the roots and migrate to the stem base in spring where pupation occurs.
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 Sesiidae
Sesiidae
The Sesiidae or clearwing moths are family of the Lepidoptera in which the wings partially have hardly any of the normal lepidopteran scales, leaving them transparent. The bodies are generally striped with yellow, red or white, sometimes very brightly, and they have simple antennae...
family. It is native to the south-eastern Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. It was originally approved for introduction into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1993. It has been released at several leafy spurge-infested sites in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
.
Adults are 10-14 mm in length. They are dark brown with yellow markings. The wings are mostly clear, with dark margins and brown and yellow markings. In Europe it is usually found in moist loamy soils and partial shade near riverbanks, swampy areas and ditches. Here, adults emerge from mid May to late July.
The larvae feed on plants in the subgenus Esula of the genus Euphorbia. The larvae mine the stem and move into the pith area. They overwinter in the roots and migrate to the stem base in spring where pupation occurs.