''Akbesia'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

genus in the family

Sphingidae The Sphingidae are a family of moths commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as hornworms. It includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, but species ar ...

erected by

Walter Rothschild Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Baron de Rothschild, (8 February 1868 – 27 August 1937) was a British banker, politician, zoologist, and soldier, who was a member of the Rothschild family. As a Zionist leader, he was present ...

and Karl Jordan in 1903. Its only species, ''Akbesia davidi'', the pistacia hawkmoth, was first described by Charles Oberthür in 1884. The larvae have been recorded feeding on ''

Pistacia atlantica ''Pistacia atlantica'' is a species of Pistacia, pistachio tree known by the English language, English common name Mt. Atlas mastic tree, Atlas pistachio, Atlantic pistacio, Atlantic terebinth, wild pistachio, and Cyprus turpentine tree. ''P. a ...

'' and

terebinth ''Pistacia terebinthus'' also called the terebinth and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous shrub species of the genus '' Pistacia'', native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and ...

(''Pistacia terebinthus''). Larvae have also been reared on ''

Cotinus coggygria ''Cotinus coggygria'', synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Rhus cotinus'', the European smoketree, Eurasian smoketree, smoke tree, smoke bush, Venetian sumach, or dyer's sumach, is a Eurasian species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Anac ...

'' and ''

Rhus coriaria ''Rhus coriaria'', commonly called Sicilian sumac, tanner's sumach, or elm-leaved sumach, is a deciduous shrub to small tree in the cashew family Anacardiaceae. It is native to southern Europe and western Asia. The dried fruits are used as a sp ...

''.

Etymology

The genus is named after the town of Akbez (near Hassa) in Turkey.

Subspecies

*''Akbesia davidi davidi'' *''Akbesia davidi gandhara'' de Freina & Geck, 2003 (Afghanistan)

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q1592039, from2=Q2478407 Ambulycini Monotypic moth genera Moths of Asia Taxa named by Walter Rothschild Taxa named by Karl Jordan Sphingidae genera