Polyptychoides niloticus

Polyptychoides niloticus
	Polyptychoides niloticus niloticus, female
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Genus:	Polyptychoides
Species:	P. niloticus
Binomial name
	Polyptychoides niloticus; (Jordan, 1921)
Synonyms
	Polyptychus niloticus Jordan, 1921; Polyptychus unilineata Clark, 1935;

Polyptychoides niloticus is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found from Zambia to Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.^[2]

This species is subject to considerable seasonal and climatic variation. Extreme dry season specimens and specimens from arid areas are very small, sandy, with all markings faint or obsolete and more regular wing margins. Specimens from moister areas, or taken in the wet season are consistently larger, darker grey, more heavily marked and have scalloped wing margins. Both forms may occur in the same areas.

The length of the forewings is 28–43 mm for males and 34–52 for females. The ground colour is grey with a black basal dot. The antemedial, postmedial and submarginal lines are straight and clearly defined. The hindwings are grey, but darker near the inner margin. In the extreme dry form (niloticus) the ground colour is pale sandy.

Subspecies

Polyptychoides niloticus niloticus
Polyptychoides niloticus ponens Pierre, 1989 (Tchad)

References

^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience – Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
^ Carcasson, R. H. (1967). "Revised Catalogue of the African Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) with Descriptions of the East African species". Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society and National Museum. 26 (3): 1–173 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.

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[1] "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience – Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2011-11-01.

[2] Carcasson, R. H. (1967). "Revised Catalogue of the African Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) with Descriptions of the East African species". Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society and National Museum. 26 (3): 1–173 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.

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