Basiothia medea | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Sphingidae |
Genus: | Basiothia |
Species: | B. medea |
Binomial name | |
Basiothia medea (Fabricius, 1781)[1] |
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Synonyms | |
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The Small Verdant Hawk (Basiothia medea) is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is common in open habitats throughout the Ethiopian Region, including Madagascar. It is however probably absent from the equatorial forest belt, except as a vagrant. The species is an active migrant.[2]
The length of the forewings is 22-25 mm and the wingspan is 49-63 mm. The body is grass green. The forewings are grass green with two or three faint darker green transverse lines. The hindwings are dull orange with a narrow brown margin.
The larvae feed on Spermacoce natalensis, Dioda, Spermacoce, Pentas and Pentasinia species.[3]