Agrius convolvuli (Linnaeus, 1758)

Bolotov, Ivan N., Kolosova, Yulia S., Spitsyna, Elizaveta A. & Spitsyn, Vitaly M., 2021, New and recent records of hawk moths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) from Seychelles, with a description of a new insular subspecies, Ecologica Montenegrina 39, pp. 109-120 : 117

Agrius convolvuli (Linnaeus, 1758)

= Phlegethontius convolvuli De Joannis (1894): 432 [ Mahé].

= Herse convolvuli Fletcher (1910): 282 [Farquhar]; Fryer (1912): 15 [ Mahé, Silhouette]; Legrand (1966): 167 [ Mahé, Silhouette, Farquhar]; Bowler et al. (1999): 51 [Aride]; Lawrence (2005): 96 [Cousine].

= Agrius convolvuli Frith (1979): 4 [Aldabra]; Matyot (2005): 60 [ Mahé, Silhouette, Aride, Cousine, Alphonse, Farquhar, Aldabra]; Gerlach & Matyot (2006): 88 [ Mahé, Silhouette, Aride, Cousine, Alphonse, Farquhar, Aldabra]; Bippus (2016): 36, pl. 1, fig. 4 [Praslin].

Table 2.

Material examined. SEYCHELLES: Praslin Island , Anse Kerlan, 4.3126°S, 55.6850°E, garden, 27 August 2016, at UV light, 1♂, Bolotov leg. ; Mahé Island , Anse Forbans, 4.7809°S, 55.5235°E, ocean coast, in water after heavy rainfall, 11 January 2020, 1♀, Kolosova leg. ; Mahé Island , Anse Forbans, 4.7815°S, 55.5229°E, garden, feeding on inflorescences of Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia Baker , 13 January 2020, 1♂, Bolotov leg.

Distribution. Migratory species, which is widespread throughout Eurasia, Africa, Australia, Oceania (Pittaway 2020; Pittaway and Kitching 2020; De Prins and De Prins 2021), and islands of the Western Indian Ocean such as Seychelles, Mascarenes, Comoros, and Madagascar ( Matyot 2005; De Prins and De Prins 2021). However, in several mainland regions it occurs rarely due to unknown reasons ( Yakovlev et al. 2015; Knyazev 2020; Yakovlev and Volgin 2020). In Seychelles, it is known to occur on Mahé ( De Joannis 1894), Praslin ( Bippus 2016), Silhouette ( Fryer 1912), Cousine ( Lawrence 2005), Aride ( Bowler et al. 1999), Alphonse ( Matyot 2005), Aldabra ( Frith 1979), and Farquhar ( Fletcher 1910).

Flower visitation. We observed several individuals (one of which was collected) feeding on inflorescences of Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia Baker ( Asparagaceae ) every evening during the period of 04–20 January 2020 (Anse Forbans, Mahe; Ivan Bolotov, pers. observ.). This observation expands the data on flower visitation of this species in Seychelles. It was noted that adult moths were observed hovering over Crinum asiaticum L. ( Amaryllidaceae ) and feeding from Hippobroma longiflora (L.) G. Don ( Campanulaceae ) flowers on Mahé ( Matyot 2005). Lawrence (2005) observed adults feeding from flowers of Hymenocallis littoralis (Jacq.) Salisb. ( Amaryllidaceae ) on Cousine.

Comments. Second record from Praslin. In contrast, it frequently occurs on Mahé ( Matyot 2005; this study).