Sphingidae : Macroglossinae
Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth
HEMARIS tityus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth
HEMARIS tityus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 41 - 46mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - (Ireland & Scotland to central Spain,Italy & Balkans) - North Africa : Russia : Asia Minor & Central Asia
UK Distribution: England - Scattered colonies in Cornwall,Devon,Somerset,Dorset,Wiltshire,Yorkshire,East Anglia,Gloucestershire. : Wales - Scattered colonies in western Wales - Anglesey : Scotland - Scattered colonies in west coast - Moray Firth : North & west Ireland - Burren - widespread
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Calcareous grassland : Chalk Downland : Acid Bogs : Heathland
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates in a flimsy cocoon just below soil.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth is one of the bumblebee mimics with transparent forewings and a compact body. The terminal fascia in narrower on forewings and hindwinds than its similar species which gives this moth its vernacular name.There are two black bands on the abdomen which are normally hidden by golden,brown hairs, until they wear off, making the bands visible.
The moth is a powerful day flyer which requires regular nectaring to provide the necessary energy, so they are usually found feeding during sunny days on plants like Bugle,Ground Ivy,Marsh Thistle,Red Valerian and Viper's-bugloss. Although it can be mistaken for the Large bee-fly this moth is larger and more agile.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - (Ireland & Scotland to central Spain,Italy & Balkans) - North Africa : Russia : Asia Minor & Central Asia
UK Distribution: England - Scattered colonies in Cornwall,Devon,Somerset,Dorset,Wiltshire,Yorkshire,East Anglia,Gloucestershire. : Wales - Scattered colonies in western Wales - Anglesey : Scotland - Scattered colonies in west coast - Moray Firth : North & west Ireland - Burren - widespread
UK Conservation Status -
- NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) & NERC S.42 2009 (Wales) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity
- Scottish Biodiversity List : 2005
- Northern Ireland - Priority Species : 2010
- Nationally Scarce B (Nb - BAP : 1997) = 31 - 100 10Km Squares
- BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
- Fairly widespread,rare locally
- Sphinx tityus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Sphinx fuciformis (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Not Specified
Habitat: Calcareous grassland : Chalk Downland : Acid Bogs : Heathland
Similar Species -
- Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth - Hemaris fuciformis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pupa: Pupates in a flimsy cocoon just below soil.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth is one of the bumblebee mimics with transparent forewings and a compact body. The terminal fascia in narrower on forewings and hindwinds than its similar species which gives this moth its vernacular name.There are two black bands on the abdomen which are normally hidden by golden,brown hairs, until they wear off, making the bands visible.
The moth is a powerful day flyer which requires regular nectaring to provide the necessary energy, so they are usually found feeding during sunny days on plants like Bugle,Ground Ivy,Marsh Thistle,Red Valerian and Viper's-bugloss. Although it can be mistaken for the Large bee-fly this moth is larger and more agile.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website
where further information like photos,physical
characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal
uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Caprifoliaceae - Honeysuckle Family
- Lonicera involucrata syn xylosteum -Twinberry-Dwarf Honeysuckle
- Lonicera periclymenum - English Wild Honeysuckle
- Symphoricarpos albus laevigatus - Snowberry
- Dipsacaceae - Teasel Family
- Knautia arvensis - Field Scabious
- Scabiosa columbaria - Small Scabious - Pigeon's Scabious
- Sussisa pratensis - Devil's Bit Scabious
- Rubiaceae - Bedstraw Family
- Galium verum - Lady's Bedstraw
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species HEMARIS: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Bombycoidea Sphingidae Macroglossinae Dilophonotini HEMARIS Dalman, 1816 Hemaris tityus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Sphinx fuciformis (Linnaeus, 1758) - SPHINX tityus (Linnaeus, 1758) = Sphinx tityus Linnaeus, 1758 = fuciformis (Poda, 1761) = Sphinx bombyliformis Linnaeus, 1758 = Sphinx musca Retzius, 1783 = Macroglossa scabiosae Zeller, 1869 = Macroglossa knautiae Zeller, 1869 = Haemorrhagia tityus alaiana Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 = reducta (Closs, 1917) = ferrugineus (Stepha, 1924) = flavescens Cockayne, 1953 = karaugomica (Wojtusiak & Niesiozowksi, 1946) = saldaitisi Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt, 1998 = Hemaris (Mandarina) alaiana - = HEMARIS Dalman 1816 = Chamaesesia Grote 1873 = Cochrania Tutt 1902 = Haemorrhagia Grote & Robinson 1865 = Jilinga Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt 1998 = Mandarina Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt 1998 = Saundersia Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt 1998 = Aege R. Felder 1874 = Hemaria Billberg 1820 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.493 - n.24 - Not Specified |