Cephonodes kingii

Cephonodes kingii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Genus:	Cephonodes
Species:	C. kingii
Binomial name
	Cephonodes kingii; (W.S. Macleay, 1826)
Synonyms
	Macroglossum kingii W.S. Macleay, 1826; Cephonodes bucklandii Butler, 1884;

Cephonodes kingii, the gardenia bee hawk, is a moth of the family Sphingidae.

Distribution[]

It is found in the northern two thirds of Australia.

Description[]

The wingspan is about 40 mm. Adults resemble bumble bees. They are mostly green with a yellow abdomen and a black band around the first few abdominal segments, and a dark mark on the next segment. There is a black fringe around the tip of the abdomen. The wings are mostly transparent except for an opaque area near the tip of the forewings.

Dorsal (coll.MHNT)
Ventral (coll.MHNT)

Biology[]

Adults feed on flower nectar.

The larvae have been recorded on Gardenia jasminoides, , Canthium coprosmoides, Canthium odoratum, Canthium oleifolium, Gardenia ovularis, , , Medicago sativa and Citrus limon. Young larvae are pale green with a short black tail horn. Later, they become black, grey, or green, often with black lines across the back. They have a posterior horn shaped like a shallow S, and have white spiracles along each side outlined in red. The head colour varies from brown to green. Pupation takes place underground in a dark brown pupa.^[2]

References[]

^ "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
^ "Australian Insects". Lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au. 2010-09-13. Retrieved 2011-10-19.

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[1] "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2011-10-19.

[2] "Australian Insects". Lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au. 2010-09-13. Retrieved 2011-10-19.

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