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Gnathothlibus erotus

‘Iriano (MG)

White-brow Hawkmoth

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult feeding on Tahitian Gardenia	48KB
Image:	Adult resting	45KB
Image:	Specimen - wings spread	43KB
Image:	Caterpillar	34KB
Article:	Hummingbirds in the Cook Islands? Gerald McCormack, September 2005	Read

General Information

COMMON NAMES: White-brow Hawkmoth, White-brow Hawk-moth, White-brow Sphinx-Moth

TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Iriano / ‘Irianu (MG), Mū (MK), Kiona (MT), Kikiona (AK), Manu Tāmate Mōlī (TS), Manu Tāmate Mōrī (TW), Kauapule (PK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE India - Indonesia / Australia - New Caledonia - Pitcairn

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Land, lowlands; larvae often on

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Pest

KEY FEATURES: Thickset moth to 5cm TL, wingspan 9cm. Body brown; forewings brown with faint light and dark markings; hindwings yellow-orange; white stripe from over each eye and over wingbase. Legs white. CATERPILLAR brown or green with white eyespots linked by pale stripe, horn small.

Enlarged Image of 'Gnathothlibus erotus'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++	P

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
+++			+++

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Gnathothlibus erotus (Cramer, 1777)
SYNONYMS: Sphinx erotus [O]; Chromis erotus; Chromis eras; Gnathothlibus erotus eras [subsp. Moluccas eastward]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ARTHROPODA; ATELOCERATA; HEXAPODA; INSECTA; PTERYGOTA; Lepidoptera; SPHINGIDAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Pest. Comments: Calterpillar feeds on morning-glories, including Sweet Potato, Indian Mulberry, Pentas and Grapevine (Vitis).

IDENTIFICATION: Thickset moth to 5cm TL, wingspan to 9cm. Dark brown uppers with white stripe over eye and thorax. Forewings fold roof-like, brown with variable light and dark markings; small cell spot and pair of dark brown circular spots near edge, close to body. Hind wings yellow-orange with brown rear border. Underside with variable shades of brown and ochre. Head has large eyes. Head, Thorax and Abdomen dark brown. Legs cream. Antennae cream dorsally and brown ventrally, long, slender with hooked tip. CATERPILLAR brown or green, with dark-ringed white eyespots, linked by a red or yellow line.

GENERAL NOTE: Caterpillar is a typical hornworm (see Agrius convolvuli), greenish, on foliage of nono (Morinda citrifolia) and possibly other Rubiaceae. Adults feed as does Agrius, and can be abundant around lights.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: BESO99, specimen #176, 380, ID J.Dugdale 4/2000. Pukapuka: fieldspecimens+photo, 2/2004, in GR house at night, ID GMcC.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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