Amplypterus mansoni mansoni ( Clark, 1924 )

Jiang, Zhuo-Heng, Xu, Zhen-Bang, Lin, Yi-Ting, Liu, Chang-Qiu, Wang, Xin & Hu, Shao-Ji, 2025, New records and notes of hawkmoths from China (Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea), Zootaxa 5673 (2), pp. 151-188 : 166-169

Amplypterus mansoni mansoni ( Clark, 1924) [ dzĸkx天ẽDz名亚Ñ]

( Figures 21–24 )

Compsogene mansoni ( Clark, 1924) ; Proc. New England zool. Club, 9: 17; TL: ‘Sikhim’ [ Sikkim, N India].

Compsogene mansoni pendleburyi Clark, 1938 ; Proc. New England zool. Club, 17: 39; TL: ‘Bukat Kutu’ [Bukit Kutu, Selangor, Malaysia].

Material examined. CHINA: ♂, Xima ( 1500 m), Yingjiang county, Yunnan, China , VI-2023, Wei-Zong Yang leg. [ JZHC] .

Diagnosis: Male ( Figures 21A–B , 23A , 24 ): The Head is brown with a black dorsal stripe; palpi orange. The Thorax is black-brown with a dorsal, pink-brown face-like pattern. The Abdomenwith basal part yellow dorsally, transitioning to brown at midsection, then black terminally; ventral side yellow. The Forewing is elongated, triangular, apex with a small concavity; outer margin smooth; distal portion of inner margin slightly concave. Upperside ground color yellow brown with a black basal zigzag pattern,; base with black patch and curved lines, a black patch and a dark brown medial line near the cell. The medial to submarginal area transitions from olive green to a creamy tone scattered with black scales. The marginal area includes a narrow triangular patch and a black line extending from vein Rs4 to the anal margin, with a large black circular patch near the tornus. Underside—yellow ground color mirroring upperside patterning in brown, with denser brown spots. The hindwing has a yellow ground color with a black patch and curved lines in the middle area scattered with brown spots; submarginal to marginal area black, and the tornus projects sharply. Underside—yellow with grey-brown patterns matching those of the upperside but more extensive.

Female: Similar to male but noticeably larger, with paler ground color and patterning, broader wings, and more slender antennae.

Male Genitalia ( Figures 22A–D ): Uncus long, curved, with a blunt apex. Gnathos shorter and pointed. Valve rounded with a tongue-shaped friction scale. Sacculus shovel-shaped, tapering to a sharp apical hook. Phallus long and straight, with an anterior lobe featuring a finger-like sclerite, edged with fine teeth.

Distribution. China (W and S Yunnan), India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia ( Figure 1 ).

Biological notes. This species was collected in middle elevation evergreen broad-leaf forest, attracted to light at night or found hanging on plants at rest in daytime ( Figure 24 ).

Remarks. A. mansoni is morphologically similar to the widespread species A. panopus ( Cramer, 1779) but is readily distinguishable by its uniformly creamy forewing coloration and falcate shape. The hindwing upperside of A. mansoni lacks the rose-pink patch of A. panopus , where it is prominent. This species is typical of subtropical habitats and has only been recorded in China at border locations, with a confirmed record from Yingjiang, Yunnan ( Jiang & Huang, 2023) and Menghai, Yunnan (current study). An isolated subspecies, ssp. takamukui , is endemic to Taiwan, China ( Figure 23 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographic distribution of Smerinthinae and Sphinginae species included in this study.

FIGURE 21. Habitus of Amplypterus mansoni mansoni, male, Xima, Yingjiang, Yunnan, China. (A) Upperside; (B) underside. Scale bar = 10 mm.

FIGURE 22. Male genitalia of Amplypterus mansoni mansoni, Yingjiang, Yunnan. (A) Lateral view, left valve removed; (B) Left valve; (C) Phallus.

FIGURE 23. Habitus and male genitalia of Amplypterus mansoni from China. (A–B) A. m. mansoni, Yingjiang, Yunnan; (C–D) A. m. takamukui, Pingtung, Taiwan.

FIGURE 24. Habitat and living adult (male) of A. m. mansoni in Menghai, Yunnan, China.