Hummingbird Hawk Moth (Sphingidae Macroglossinae Macroglossum insipida  - Butler, 1875)

Two larvae and an ovum were found on Braemar Hill in North Point, Hong Kong, October 23, 2002.  LFP was the small Honeysuckle vine Paederia scandens.  This plant looks very much like Longicera sp., except that Paederia has greenish mature stems and usually winds tightly, whereas Longicera has reddish or brownish mature stems and is more wandering and less tightly wound.


An ovum laid on October 23, 2002 at Braemar Hill.
The egg was 1.3 mm / 0.05 inch diameter.

A just hatched larva, Oct 27, 2002.
About 7.5 mm / 0.3 inch long.


A 2nd instar larva, Oct 31, 2002.
About 16.3 mm / 0.6 inch long.

A 3rd instar larva, Nov 4, 2002.
About 3.1 cm / 1.2 inch long.

A 4th instar larva, Nov 11, 2002.
About 2.8 cm / 1.1 inch long.




Three views of the final instar.
Both larvae were green until the final change.
About 4.3 cm / 1.7 inch long.


The pupa of the brown larval form.
Length was about 3 cm / 1.2 inch.
Pupation was on Nov 2, 2002.


The moth in rest position.
The moth eclosed on Nov 14, 2002.
 


Top and Underside views of moth
Wingspan is about 3.7 cm / 1.5 inch
The top image has been significantly lightened to show
the markings; normally, it is much darker.

An enlarged and lightened view of a forewing, showing the pattern.


The larval foodplant.
Note the greenish stems.
 
 

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