''Theretra japonica'' is a moth of the family Sphingidae first described by

Jean Baptiste Boisduval Jean Baptiste Alphonse Déchauffour de Boisduval (24 June 1799 – 30 December 1879) was a French lepidopterist, botanist, and physician. He was one of the most celebrated lepidopterists of France, and was the co-founder of the Société entomol ...

in 1869.

Distribution

It is found in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, Korea and Russia.

Description

The wingspan is 55–80 mm. Theretra japonica MHNT CUT 2010 0 193 Oosawa Katashina-mura Gunma Japan male dorsal.jpg, Male, dorsal view Theretra japonica MHNT CUT 2010 0 193 Oosawa Katashina-mura Gunma Japan male ventral.jpg, Male, ventral view Theretra japonica MHNT CUT 2010 0 193 TamaGawa, Shizuoka Japan female dorsal.jpg, Female, dorsal view Theretra japonica MHNT CUT 2010 0 193 TamaGawa, Shizuoka Japan female ventral.jpg, Female, ventral view

Biology

* The moth flies from May to September depending on the location. The caterpillars feed on a wide range of plants. Recorded food plants are: In China: '' Cissus'', '' Colocasia'', '' Hydrangea'', '' Parthenocissus'', ''

Ampelopsis ''Ampelopsis'', commonly known as peppervine or porcelainberry, is a genus of climbing shrubs, in the grape family Vitaceae. The name is derived from the grc, ἅμπελος (''ampelos''), which means "vine". The genus was named in 1803. It is ...

'', '' Ipomoea batatas'', ''

Cayratia japonica ''Causonis japonica'' (also known by its synonym ''Cayratia japonica'' and common names bushkiller, yabu garashi and Japanese cayratia herb) is the type species of vine plant in its genus and is native to Tropical and Subtropical Asia, Australia ...

'', '' Vitis'' and '' Ludwigia''. Recorded in Korea on ''

Colocasia antiquorum Eddoe or eddo is a tropical vegetable often considered identifiable as the species ''Colocasia antiquorum'', closely related to taro (dasheen, ''Colocasia esculenta''), which is primarily used for its thickened stems (corms).Purseglove, J.W. 197 ...

'', '' Oenothera erythrosepala'', ''

Circaea mollis ''Circaea mollis'' is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family Onagraceae. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q10908037 mollis Mollis is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January ...

'' and ''

Hydrangea paniculata ''Hydrangea paniculata'', the panicled hydrangea or limelight hydrangea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae native to southern and eastern China, Korea, Japan and Russia (Sakhalin). It was first formally described by Phil ...

''. In Japan they feed on ''

'', ''

Ampelopsis glandulosa ''Ampelopsis glandulosa'' is a species of plant native to China, Japan, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Varieties Several varieties are distinguished: * var. ''hancei'' * var. ''kulingensis'' * var. ''glandulosa'' * var ...

'', ''

Circaea The ''Circaea'', or enchanter's nightshades, are a genus of flowering plants in the evening primrose family Onagraceae. About two dozen taxa have been described, including eight species. Plants of the genus occur throughout the temperate and bor ...

'', '' Fuchsia'', ''

Oenothera biennis ''Oenothera biennis'', the common evening-primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae, native to eastern and central North America, from Newfoundland west to Alberta, southeast to Florida, and southwest to Texas, and widely ...

'', ''

Oenothera stricta ''Oenothera stricta'', the fragrant evening primrose (a name it shares with other members of its genus), is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae. It is native to the Desventurados Islands, Chile, and southern Argentina, and it h ...

'', ''

Parthenocissus tricuspidata ''Parthenocissus tricuspidata'' is a flowering plant in the grape family ( Vitaceae) native to eastern Asia in Korea, Japan, and northern and eastern China. Although unrelated to true ivy, it is commonly known as Boston ivy, grape ivy, and Jap ...

'' and '' Vitis''. In the Russian Far East they are found on '' Vitis amurensis''.

References

External links

* Theretra Moths described in 1869 Moths of Japan Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Boisduval {{Theretra-stub