Hyles dahlii
Encyclopedia
Hyles dahlii is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is found on Corsica
, Sardinia
and the Balearic Islands
. On rare occasions it is found on Sicily
and along the north-eastern coast of Spain
. It was introduced to Tunisia
in the mid 1980’s.
On Menorca, the Hyles dahlii population consists of a hybrid with Hyles euphorbiae
. Due to this hybridisation, only few characteristics of Hyles dahlii are present in the imago. There is also hybridisation on Malta
. Here it is a hybrid between Hyles dahlii and Hyles tithymali
. Research suggests that Hyles dahlii is in fact a species which evolved from Hyles tithymali through isolation.
The wingspan
is 65–85 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June and from August to September in two generations.
The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, including Euphorbia paralias
, Euphorbia myrsinites, Euphorbia characias
, Euphorbia dendroides
, Euphorbia pityusa, Euphorbia pinea and Euphorbia terracina.
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 found on Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
. On rare occasions it is found on Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and along the north-eastern coast of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It was introduced to Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
in the mid 1980’s.
On Menorca, the Hyles dahlii population consists of a hybrid with Hyles euphorbiae
Hyles euphorbiae
The Spurge Hawk-moth is a European moth of the family Sphingidae. This hawk moth is used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious weed known as leafy spurge , but usually only in conjunction with other agents...
. Due to this hybridisation, only few characteristics of Hyles dahlii are present in the imago. There is also hybridisation on Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. Here it is a hybrid between Hyles dahlii and Hyles tithymali
Hyles tithymali
Hyles tithymali is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found in North Africa, the Canary Islands, Madeira, some islands in the Mediterranean Sea and in the mountains in Jemen.The length of the forewings is 45-85 mm.The larvae feed on Euphorbia....
. Research suggests that Hyles dahlii is in fact a species which evolved from Hyles tithymali through isolation.
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 65–85 mm. Adults are on wing from May to June and from August to September in two generations.
The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, including Euphorbia paralias
Euphorbia paralias
Euphorbia paralias is a species of Euphorbia, native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia.It is a glaucous perennial plant growing up to 70 cm tall. The crowded leaves are elliptic-ovate and 5 to 20 mm long.The species is widely naturalised in Australia...
, Euphorbia myrsinites, Euphorbia characias
Euphorbia characias
Euphorbia characias, the Mediterranean Spurge, is a flowering plant of the Euphorbiaceae family typical of the Mediterranean vegetation....
, Euphorbia dendroides
Euphorbia dendroides
Euphorbia dendroides, also known as Tree Spurge, is a small tree of the Euphorbiaceae family that grows in semi-arid and mediterranean climates....
, Euphorbia pityusa, Euphorbia pinea and Euphorbia terracina.