SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología ISSN: 0300-5267 [email protected] Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterología España

Catania, A. An aberration of sammuti Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998 (: ) SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología, vol. 36, núm. 142, junio, 2008, pp. 183-185 Sociedad Hispano-Luso-Americana de Lepidopterología Madrid, España

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SHILAP Revta. lepid., 36 (142), junio 2008: 183-185 CODEN: SRLPEF ISSN:0300-5267

An aberration of Hyles sammuti Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998 (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) A. Catania

Abstract

An aberration of Hyles sammuti from the Maltese archipelago is illustrated. KEY WORDS: Lepidoptera, Sphingidae, Hyles sammuti, aberration, Malta.

Una aberración de Hyles sammuti Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998 (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)

Resumen

Se ilustra una aberración de Hyles sammuti del archipiélago Maltés. PALABRAS CLAVE: Lepidoptera, Sphingidae, Hyles sammuti, aberración, Malta.

Introduction The genus Hyles Hübner, 1819, is represented in the Maltese Islands by three species: Hyles sammuti Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998, an endemic species; (Esper, 1779), a well known migratory species recorded yearly in different numbers (SAMMUT, 2000); and the newly recorded deserticola (Staudinger, 1901) (CATANIA, 2008). Material examined: MALTA, 1 0, Pembroke, reared ex-, emerged 8-XII-2007, leg A. Catania (in coll. Catania) During the last week of October 2007, six L1 larvae of Hyles sammuti were collected from Pembroke to be reared and photographed as part of a separate study into differences in the larval colour forms. It has been observed that in different colonies of Hyles sammuti around the Maltese Islands, colour intensity, number and colour of the spots varies. A rearing technique similar to that described by Fredrich (1986) was used, in which larvae are exposed to long day period, more than seventeen hours photophase, and a constant temperature of around 20º C-25º C, with the aim of enhancing development and breaking the diapause. Artificial light from a 25W energy saver lamp (125W equivalent) and a timer was used to control the light. All the pupae of Hyles sammuti reared from the six L1 larvae collected were reared under the same conditions. They were fed on dendroides and did not show any differences among them in the colour of L5. Larvae took three weeks to pupate and another two weeks before emergence. In the Maltese Islands, pupae of the Hyles sammuti overwinter, producing a small brood in May/June, although the majority hatch during September-October of the following year.

Discussion

For many years, lepidopterists in Malta have reared and bred Hyles sammuti from all stages and

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A. CATANIA

there have been no reports or records of any significant variation in adult colour pattern (for example, PITTAWAY, 1993 & 1998, makes no comments on any forms or aberrations). So the aberration illustrated here in Figure 1 is the first such record in this species. I sent a photograph of the specimen to Dr. Anthony Pittaway, who commented that such aberrations are indeed rare. He added that he had the impression that he had seen similar aberrant specimens of H. euphorbiae and H. zygophylli in the Natural History Museum, London, but they were likewise very infrequent. I then sent the same photograph to Dr. Ian Kitching, who confirmed that a male specimen of caught on the parade ground (“Exercierplatz”) at Bamberg, Germany, some time before 1903, had been described by ROTHSCHILD & JORDAN (1903: 720) as aberration restricta. This is illustrated in Figure 2. Although the overall pattern is similar to that of the Hyles sammuti aberration, the two are not identical in their details, and the same genetic mutation probably does not underlie the two aberrations.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr Ian Kitching, of the Department of Entomology of the Natural History Museum, London, for providing the digital image of the H. euphorbiae aberration restricta and to Mr. Robert Young of the NHM, who took the photograph; also Dr. Tony Pittaway of CAB International, Wallingford, UK, my Maltese colleagues, Mr. Anthony Seguna of Naxxar and Mr. Paul Sammut of Rabat, for their comments and suggestions, my father Mr. Charles Catania of Pembroke Malta for accompanying me in the field, and Dr. Antonio Vives for providing the Spanish translation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CATANIA, A., 2008.– Hyles tithymali deserticola (Staudinger, 1901) - first record for the Maltese Islands (Lepidoptera: Spingidae).– SHILAP Revta. lepid., 36(141): EKKEHARD, F., 1986.– Breeding Butterflies and Moths: A Practical Hand Book for Britain and European Species: 176 pp. Harley Books Essex, England PITTAWAY, A. R., 1993.– The Moths of the Western Palaearctic: 240 pp. Harley Books & Natural History Museum, London. PITTAWAY, A. R., 1997-2008.– Sphingidae of the western Palaearctic. http://tpittaway.tripod.com/spinx/list.html. ROTHSCHILD, L. W. & JORDAN, K., 1903.– A revision of the lepidopterous family Sphingidae.– Novit. zool., 9 (suppl.), 1-972. SAMMUT, P., 2007.– Kullana Kulturali12. Il-Lepidoptera: X + 146 pp. Pubblikazzjoni Indipendenza, Malta.

A. C. Rama-Rama Plot 20 Triq Mons. A. Cilia Zebbug ZBG 04 MALTA / MALTA

(Recibido para publicación / Received for publication 4-III-2008) (Revisado y aceptado / Revised and accepted 20-III-2008)

184 SHILAP Revta. lepid., 36 (142), junio 2008 SHILAP Nº 142 9/6/08 11:51 Página 185

AN ABERRATION OF HYLES SAMMUTI EITSCHBERGER, DANNER & SURHOLT, 1998

1

2

Figs. 1-2.–1. Hyles sammuti Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998 aberration [8-XII-2007], leg A. Catania (in coll. Catania). 2. Hyles euphorbiae ab. restricta Rothschild & Jordan (1903: 720), Bamberg, Germany (in coll. NHM, London).

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