Introduction

Adults of many species of the moth family Sphingidae, are nectarivorous ( Boggs, 1987) and important pollinators in both natural and anthropogenic environments, being highly specialized flower visitors equipped with a long, thin and very flexible proboscis ( Meeuse & Morris, 1984). Many species hover at flowers like hummingbirds to imbibe nectar. They can be quite abundant in forests and in Costa Rica, pollinate 5-10% of all trees and shrubs ( Janzen, 1983; Bawa et al. 1985; Haber & Frankie, 1989). Most adult hawkmoths are nocturnal, although some species fly by day, or predominantly in the crepuscular period ( Opler, 1983). Among the diurnal and crepuscular species are members of the genus Macroglossum, although many are also nocturnal. The genus was erected by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1777. The genus name was derived from the Latin prefix “macro” meaning big or large, and the Greek γλοσσα [glossa] meaning tongue. Only five species of Macroglossum have so far reported from Gangetic Plains Biogeographic Zone of India (encompassing Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal states), viz., M. assimilis Swainson, 1821, M. belis (Linnaeus, 1758), M. corythus Walker, 1856, M. gyrans Walker, 1856 and M. nycteris Kollar, 1844 ( Joshi et al. 2021). The present paper provides information on the occurrence of a sixth species, Macroglossum pyrrhosticta Butler, 1875, based on morphotaxonomic and genital study.

Materials and Methods

Our study was carried out at Sasni (27.7063º N, 78.0823º E; 181 m; Map 1), nearby Shri Balaji Garden in Hathras District, Uttar Pradesh, in the late afternoon (5:10 p.m.) of 12th October 2018. A specimen of the genus Macroglossum was collected on the wing using an insect net. After killing with ethyl acetate, the specimen was transferred to an insect envelope and labelled with the name of locality, date, latitude, longitude, and altitude. Later, in the laboratory, the specimen was relaxed and spread on a setting board. The exemplar was initially identified simply as Macroglossum sp. but the identification as Macroglossum pyrrhosticta was later confirmed by the second author. The specimen has been preserved in a fumigated insect storage box in the collection of the Zoology Department, Aligarh Muslim University (ZDAMU), Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

Results

T axonomic

          Class: Insecta Linnaeus, 1758

                    Order: Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758

                              Clade: Ditrysia Borner, 1925

                                        Superfamily: Bombycoidea Latreille, [1802]

                                                  Family: Sphingidae Latreille, [1802]

                                                            Subfamily: Macroglossinae Harris, 1839

                                                                      Tribe: Macroglossini Harris, 1839

                                                                                Subtribe: Macroglossina Harris, 1839

                                                                                          Genus: MacroglossumScopoli, 1777

Distribution: Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australian region ( Hampson, [1893]).

Note: The species of this genus are numerous, closely allied and can be difficult to discriminate.

Macroglossum pyrrhosticta Butler, 1875

Macroglossa pyrrhosticta Butler, 1875; Proc. zool. Soc. Lond., 1875, 242

TL: CHINA, Shanghai.

Holotype: ♀, China, Shanghai [NHMUK].

= Macroglossa catapyrrha Butler, 1875

= Macroglossum pyrrhosticta form albifascia Mell, 1922

= Macroglossum pyrrhosticta form ferrea Mell, 1922

= Macroglossum fukienensis Chu & Wang, 1980

Description Adult ( Figures 1-2): Very similar to Macroglossum variegatum Rothschild & Jordan, 1903, but most easily distinguished by the chestnut brown underside of the abdomen (greyish brown in M. variegatum). Head, thorax, abdomen, and forewings greyish without a rufous tinge. The upperside of the forewing is brown flushed with whitish grey, the dark brown antemedial band is wider at the inner margin than the costa, with slightly curved margins.

Female genitalia ( Figure 3): Papillae anales broad, strong. Apophyses anteriores and posteriores large and weak, blunt apically. Ductus bursae thin, curved and spiralled, long, anterior end gradually widening into the corpus bursae. Corpus bursae ovoid. Signum with a circular anterior section and a very long and narrow posterior band that runs along the anterior half of the ductus bursae.

Distribution in India: Uttar Pradesh (Hathras District) (this study); Arunachal Pradesh (Changlang District); Assam (East Karbi Anglong District); West Bengal (Bankura District, South 24 Parganas District) ( Sondhi et al. 2021).

Elsewhere: Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, central, eastern and southern China, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, the southern Russian Far East, Taiwan, Philippines (Luzon), Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia (Peninsula and Sarawak) and Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok) ( Pittaway & Kitching, 2021); established in Hawaii, USA.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae have been recorded feeding on Paederia scandens, Psychotria rubra, Paederia foetida and Paederia tomentosa; Paederia foetida and Psychotria rubra (Rubiaceae) in Hong Kong, Paederia foetida in India ( Bell & Scott, 1937, 1937), and Paederia foetida in mainland China and Taiwan. On the latter island, it has also been recorded from Paederia cavaleriei, Serissa japonica [syn.: Serissa serissoides] and Sida rhombifolia ( Pittaway & Kitching, 2021); also, Paederia foetida (Rubiaceae) and Impatiens sp. (Balsaminaceae) (Robinson et al. 2010).

Discussion

In the first comprehensive treatment of the Sphingidae fauna of the Indian subcontinent, Hampson ([1893]) reported 23 species under the genus name “Macroglossa”, representing 18 currently accepted species of Macroglossum. Macroglossum pyrrhosticta was not mentioned as such, but was included under the current junior subjective synonym, Macroglossa catapyrrha. In their updated and expanded treatment of the Sphingidae of India and adjacent countries, Bell & Scott (1937) reported 27 species representing 24 currently valid species, including M. pyrrhosticta (from the Eastern Himalaya). Kendrick (2010) mentioned only 15 species of Macroglossum in India (those that were in common with Hong Kong, China), while the Moths of India website ( Sondhi et al. 2021) currently lists only 13 species that have been photographed in the different parts of the country (which may reflect the difficulties of photographing these fast-flying insects).

Prior to the present study, M. pyrrhosticta was only known in India from several eastern states, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and West Bengal. However, the two districts in West Bengal (Bankura district and South 24 Parganas district) do not include land of the Gangetic Plains. Thus, the present study is the first to report the occurrence (and associated range extension) of M. pyrrhosticta in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the Gangetic Plains and North-West India in general.

Checklist of Indian species of the genus Macroglossum Scopoli, 1777.

1. 1. Macroglossum affictitia Butler, 1875
2. 2. Macroglossum aquila Boisduval, 1875
3. 3. Macroglossum assimilis Swainson, 1821
4. 4. Macroglossum belis (Linnaeus, 1758)
5. 5. Macroglossum bifasciata Butler, (1875)
6. 6. Macroglossum bombylans Boisduval, 1875
7. 7. Macroglossum corythus Walker, 1856
8. 8. Macroglossum divergens divergens Walker, 1856
9. 9. Macroglossum divergens heliophila Boisduval, 1875
10. 10. Macroglossum gyrans Walker, 1856
11. 11. Macroglossum mitchellii imperator Butler, 1875
12. 12. Macroglossum neotroglodytus Kitching & Cadiou, 2000
13. 13. Macroglossum nycteris Kollar, 1844
14. 14. Macroglossum obscura Butler, 1875
15. 15. Macroglossum particolor Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
16. 16. Macroglossum passalus (Drury, 1773)
17. 17. Macroglossum prometheus Boisduval, 1875
18. 18. Macroglossum pyrrhosticta Butler, 1875
19. 19. Macroglossum regulus Boisduval, 1875
20. 20. Macroglossum saga Butler, 1878
21. 21. Macroglossum semifasciata Hampson, 1893
22. 22. Macroglossum sitiene Walker, 1856
23. 23. Macroglossum stellatarum (Linnaeus, 1758)
24. 24. Macroglossum troglodytus Boisduval, 1875
25. 25. Macroglossum variegatum Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
26. 26. Macroglossum vicinum Jordan, 1923

Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to the Chairperson, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University and the Director, Zoological Survey of India, for their continuous support and encouragement throughout.

References

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Author notes

*Autor para la correspondencia / Corresponding author

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