Theretra nessus, the yam hawk moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It was described by Dru Drury in 1773.

It is found in Sri Lanka, India (including the Andaman and Nicobar islands), Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, southern China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, northern Australia and New Caledonia. It is a recent immigrant in Oahu.

Distribution

The wingspan is 90–130 mm. Head, thorax and a stripe down center of abdomen is green suffused with ferrugineous. Thorax is with a lateral grey stripe and abdomen is golden yellow at the sides. Forewings are olive brown and the base with a patch of black and white on the inner margin. A black dot is present at end of cell. A postmedial waved oblique line met by three straight oblique lines from the apex at inner margin. Hindwings are black brown where the anal angle is ochreous, which colour extends towards the apex as a submarginal band. Ventral side is suffused with reddish ochreous.

Description

Larva is bluish green, with a subdorsal line with oblique streaks below it on 4th to 10th somites. Ocellus on the 4th somite is greenish with a black ring. The horn is yellowish. Larvae have been recorded on Amaranthus, Barringtonia, Dioscorea, Amorphophallus, Impatiens, Citrullus, Arathis, Boerhavia, Knoxia, Morinda, Oldenlandia, Pongamia, Spermacoce, Glossostigma and Camellia.

Biology

harmful

bite

Theretra nessus is considered a tree pest because its larvae feed on the leaves of various tree species, causing defoliation and potentially impacting the health and growth of the trees.

tree pest

Theretra nessus can be considered garden pests because their larvae feed on the leaves of many garden plants, potentially causing damage and defoliation, which can impact the overall health and aesthetics of the garden.

garden pest

Theretra nessus can be considered crop pests because their larvae have been known to feed on the leaves of certain crop plants, leading to defoliation and potential yield loss, making them a threat to agricultural production.

crop pest

Theretra nessus is considered a pest because its larvae feed on the leaves of trees, garden plants, and certain crops, causing defoliation and potential damage to the health and productivity of these plants.

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What does a yam hawk moth eat?

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