''Basiothia laticornis'' is a

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 ...

of 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 ...

. It is only known from

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. It is similar to ''

Basiothia medea ''Basiothia medea'', the small verdant hawk, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is common in open habitats throughout the Ethiopian Region, including Madagascar. It is however probably absent from the equatorial forest belt, except as a vag ...

'', but immediately distinguishable by the generally brown forewing and hindwing uppersides. The antennae are strongly clubbed in both sexes, but noticeably longer and thicker in the male. The forewing upperside is purplish-brown. There are three antemedian lines present. There is a darker brown patch distal to the apex of the discal cell. The female has a wingspan of 35–40 mm.Griveaud P.,1970, ''Sur quelques Sphingides de Madagascar (Lep.) 4ieme Note''. Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 1970, 75 (7; 8), p. 201-208.

References

Basiothia Moths described in 1879 Moths of Madagascar Moths of Africa Taxa named by Arthur Gardiner Butler {{Macroglossini-stub