Theretra alecto (Linnaeus, 1758)

Titov, Sergey V., Volynkin, Anton V., Rakhimov, Ruslan D., Belyalov, Oleg V., ., . & ., 2020, First record of Theretra alecto (Linnaeus, 1758) from Kazakhstan, with notes on the bionomics of the species (Lepidoptera, Macroheterocera, Sphingidae, Macroglossinae, Macroglossini), Ecologica Montenegrina 38, pp. 79-83 : 80

Theretra alecto (Linnaeus, 1758)

( Figs 1–7 )

Sphinx alecto Linnaeus, 1758 , Systema Naturae (Edn 10) 1: 492 (Type locality: India).

Material examined. 1 male, 1 female, ex pupa 18.IX.2019, 12.VIII.2017, SE Kazakhstan, Almaty city, 43°14'54.00"N 76°51'33.00"E, 790m, leg. R. Rakhimov, eggs collected on 01.VIII.2019 from cultivated grape vine (coll. STP) ; 1 male, SE Kazakhstan, Almaty city, Aygerim-2 community, 43.271282°N 076.836360°E, 746m ., collection of larva from cultivated grape vine: 12.IX.2019, pupation: 14.09.2019, imago hatching: 09.I.2020, leg. S. Kolov (coll. OBA) ; 1 male, SE Kazakhstan, Almaty region, Alatau vill., (IYAF-Institute of Nuclear Physics ), 43°21'7.95"N 77°8'50.34"E, 790 m ., collection of larva from cultivated grape vine: 21.VIII.2019, pupation: 28.VIII.2019, imago hatching: 09.IX.2019, leg. D. Zakharov (coll. DZA) .

Photographic material examined. 1 female, photo taken on 21.VIII.2017, SE Kazakhstan, Almaty region, Yntymak vill., 43°24'40.00"N, 76°58'22.00"E, 740m, on the ground, in the afternoon (photo by K. Popkov) ; 1 female, photo taken on 14.VII.2019, SE Kazakhstan, suburb of Almaty city, Pervomayskiye Dachi cottage settlement, northern part, 43°23'28.00"N 76°54'32.00"E, 710m, on the wall of the cottage in the evening (photo by O. Belyalov) ; 1 male, photo taken on 08.VIII.2018, S Kazakhstan, Turkestan region, Shymkent city, 42°18'21.99"N 69°38'23.99"E, 550m, on the wall of the building, in the afternoon (photo by Q. Amirekul) .

Bionomics and distribution

All specimens were found in populated areas ( Fig. 7 ). Imagoes were found in day and night time sitting on the ground, vegetation or walls of houses ( Figs 2, 3 ). One female specimen was observed flying and lying eggs one at a time on the underside of leaves of cultivated grape vine ( Vitis vinifera ) at dusk (21:00–21: 30 p. m.). Imagoes of Th. alecto are on wing in July and August, eggs lying was observed in August, larvae feed on Vitis vinifera in August and September.

The species is known from Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Armenia, Georgia, Russia (Daghestan Republic), Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan (present study), Afghanistan, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, China, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Japan and Indonesia ( Krpač et al. 2019; Zolotuhin & Yevdoshenko 2019; Pittaway 2020). In Kazakhstan ( Fig. 8 ), Th. alecto was found in the northern foothills of Transili Alatau Range (Almaty Region, northern part of the Tien Shan mountain massif) at altitudes ranging from 710 to 790 m , and in the northeastern foothills of Karzhantau Range (Turkestan Region, western part of the Tien Shan mountain massif) at altitude of 550m.

The nearest known localities of Th. alecto in Central Asia are in Uzbekistan (Tashkent) ( Gehlen 1941) and Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek) ( Korb 2018). The new founds ( Fig. 8 ) in Almaty city are the northernmost in Central Asia and increase the known range of the species in the region by 183 km to the north-east. We have no data if the populations of Th. alecto in Kazakhstan are autochthonous or the species is present in the country only as a summer migrant. Clarification of this question requires further studies.

Figures

Figure 7. The habitat of Theretra alecto: SE Kazakhstan, Almaty Region, Almaty city, cottage settlement, 43°16'16.62"N 76°50'10.90"E, 04.IX.2008 (photo by O. Belyalov).

Figure 8. The distribution map of Theretra alecto in Kazakhstan.

Figures 1–6. Theretra alecto: 1, female and male imagoes ex ovo, SE Kazakhstan, Almaty city (photo by S. Titov) (coll. STP); 2, live imago, SE Kazakhstan, Almaty city, Aygerim-2 community, ex pupa 09.I.2020 (photo by O. Belyalov); 3, live imago, S Kazakhstan, Turkestan region, Shymkent city, 08.VIII.2018 (photo by Q. Amirekul); 4, eggs on a leaf of Vitis vinifera, SE Kazakhstan, Almaty city (photo by D. Zakharov); 5, larva on a leaf of Vitis vinifera, the same locality (photo by D. Zakharov); 6, pupa, lateral view, the same locality (photo by D. Zakharov).