Theretra alecto (Linnaeus, 1758) - Levant Hawkmoth

Taxonomic Information

List of Theretra Hübner, [1819] known from India.
Theretra alecto (Linnaeus, 1758), Jharkhand (Sambath, 2011), Karnataka (Melichar, 2012),
Madhya Pradesh (Chandraetal.,2013), Punjab (Pathiana et al., 2014), Uttarakhand (Sondhi and Sondhi 2016).
Theretra boisduvalii (Bugnion, 1839), Eastern Himalaya, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttarakhand (Pittaway and Kitching, 2013).
Theretra castanea (Moore, 1872), Kerala (Sondhi et al., 2017), Maharashtra (Gurule et al.,2013), Tamil Nadu (Iyer and kitching, 2019).
Theretra clotho (Drury, 1773), Karnataka (Ghoparde et al., 2013), Kerala (Mathew et al., 2018), Punjab (Pathiana et al., 2014).
Theretra gnoma (Fabricius, 1775), Karnataka (Ghoparde et al., 2013), Kerala (Sondhi et al., 2017).
Theretra griseomarginata (Hampson, 1898), Uttarakhand (Sondhi and Sondhi, 2016), Kerala (Sondhi et al., 2017), Karnataka (Ghoparde et al., 2013).
Theretra insignis (Butler, 1882), Karnataka (Sondhi et al., 2017).
Theretra lucasii (Walker, 1856), Assam (Arandhara et al., 2017), Kerala (Sondhi et al., 2017), Tamil Nadu (Iyer and Kitching, 2019).
Theretra lycetus (Cramer, 1775), Himalayan region (Singh et al.,2020), Kerala (Sondhi et al., 2017), Karnataka (Ghoparde et al., 2013), Maharashtra (Subhalakshmi et al., 2011) West Bengal (Nayak, 2020).
Theretra nessus (Drury, 1773), Assam (Arandhara et al., 2017), Jharkhand (Sambath, 2011), Karnataka, (Mishra et al 2016), Kerala (Sondhi et al., 2017), Punjab (Singh and Kaur, 2020), Tamil Nadu (Iyer and Kitching, 2019).
Theretra oldenlandiae (Fabricius, 1775), Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, (Subhalakshmi et al., 2011).
Theretra pallicosta (Walker, 1856), Karnataka (Melichar, 2012); Kerala (Sondhi et al., 2018).
Theretra shendurneensis Sondhi, Kitching, Basu & Kunte, 2017, Kerala (Sondhi et al., 2017).
Theretra silhetensis (Walker, 1856), Assam (Arandhara et al., 2017), Kerala (Sondhi et al., 2017), Tamil Nadu (Iyer and Kitching, 2019), West Bengal (Biswas et al., 2016).
Theretra suffusa (Walker, 1856), Nepal, North East India (Leong and Rozario, 2009).
Theretra sumatrensis (Joicey & Kaye, 1917), Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu (Iyer and Kitching, 2019) South Western Ghats (Sondhi et al., 2017).
Theretra tibetiana Vaglia & Haxaire, 2010, North Eastern India (Irungbam, 2020).

Photo Gallery and Species Biology

Theretra suffusa has a broad pale stripe along the centre of the thorax and abdomen.

StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo date
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Daman & Diu
Delhi1
Goa
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh1
Maharashtra
Manipur1
Meghalaya2
Mizoram
Nagaland
Odisha
Paschimbanga1
Pondicherry
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand12
West Bengal1
Total121141

Theretra alecto (Linnaeus, 1758) – Levant HawkmothDillenia indica (Dilleniaceae), Pisum sativum (Fabaceae), Rubia cordifolia (Rubiaceae) (Robinson et al. 2010).

  1. Holloway, J. D. 1987. The Moths of Borneo. Part 3. Superfamily Bombycoidea: families Lasiocampidae, Eupterotidae, Bombycidae, Brahmaeidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae. http://www.mothsofborneo.com/part-3/sphingidae/sphingidae_30_6.php [accessed 27 January 2017]
  2. Inoue, H., R.D. Kennett & I.J. Kitching. 1997. Moths of Thailand, Volume 2: Sphingidae, pg 113, Plate 33/152.
  3. Pittaway, A.R. (2017). Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic (including Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, western Siberia and western Central Asia). http://tpittaway.tripod.com/sphinx/t_ale.htm [accessed 27 January 2017]
  4. Wikipedia contributors. Theretra alecto [Internet]. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia; 2016 Sep 17, 20:47 UTC [cited 2017 Jan 27]. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theretra_alecto&oldid=739906559.

Page citation

Anonymous 2024. Theretra alecto (Linnaeus, 1758) – Levant Hawkmoth. In Sondhi, S., Y. Sondhi, R.P. Singh, P. Roy and K. Kunte (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 3.72. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.mothsofindia.org/theretra-alecto, accessed 2024/03/28.