Polyptychus

Polyptychus
Polyptychus carteri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Subfamily:	Smerinthinae
Genus:	Polyptychus Hübner, 1819
Polyptychus affinis Polyptychus carteri Polyptychus chinensis Polyptychus dentatus Polyptychus trilineatus and around 24 others

Polyptychus is a type of moth in the family Sphingidae. These middle-sized, light-brown moths are found in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Description

Middle-sized to large (wing span 65 – 120 mm), light brown hawk moth. The head is unusually large in the Smerinthinae, with the back of the body long and cylindrical.

Life

These moths fly at night and do not visit flowers, and they don't particularly seek out light. In all cases, they lay their eggs in the plants of the Boraginaceae family.

Systematic classification

• Order moths, Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758
  • Glossata
    • Coelolepida
      • Myoglossata
        • Neolepidoptera
          • Heteroneura
            • Eulepidoptera
              • Ditrysia
                • Apoditrysia
                  • Macrolepidoptera
                    • Bombycoidea
                      • Family Sphingidae
                        • Subfamily Smerinthinae
                          • Genus Polyptychus Hübner, 1819 – around 30 types, Africa and Southeast Asia
                            • Polyptychus affinis – Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 – Afrika
                            • Polyptychus andosa – (Walker 1856)
                            • Polyptychus anochus – Rothschild & Jordan 1906
                            • Polyptychus aurora – Clark 1936
                            • Polyptychus baltus – Pierre 1985
                            • (Polyptychus barnsi) – Clark 1926
                            • Polyptychus baxteri – Rothschild & Jordan 1908
                            • Polyptychus bernardii – Rougeot 1966
                            • Polyptychus carteri – (Butler, 1882) – West Africa
                            • Polyptychus chinensis – Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 – Central and Southwest China, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands
                            • Polyptychus claudiae – Brechlin, Kitching & Cadiou, 2001
                            • Polyptychus coryndoni – Rothschild & Jordan 1903
                            • Polyptychus dentatus- (Cramer, 1777) – Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan
                            • Polyptychus distensus – Darge 1990
                            • Polyptychus enodia – (Holland 1889)
                            • Polyptychus girardi – Pierre 1993
                            • Polyptychus herbuloti – Darge 1990
                            • Polyptychus hollandi – Rothschild & Jordan 1903
                            • Polyptychus lapidatus – Joicey & Kaye 1917
                            • Polyptychus murinus – Rothschild 1904
                            • Polyptychus nigriplaga – Rothschild & Jordan 1903
                            • Polyptychus orthographus – Rothschild & Jordan 1903
                            • Polyptychus paupercula – Holland 1889
                            • Polyptychus pierrei – Kitching & Cadiou, 2000
                            • Polyptychus potiendus – Darge 1990
                            • Polyptychus retusus – Rothschild & Jordan, 1908
                            • Polyptychus rougeoti – Carcasson 1968
                            • Polyptychus sinus – Pierre 1985
                            • Polyptychus thihongae – Bernardi 1970
                            • Polyptychus trilineatus – Moore, 1888 – India – Vietnam and South China
                            • Polyptychus trisecta – (Aurivillius 1901)
                            • Polyptychus wojtusiaki – Pierre, 2001

References

• Pittaway, A.R. (2007) Sphingidae of the Eastern Palearctic