The

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Deilephila'' is part of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 ...

, the hawk-moths or sphinxes. The genus was erected by

Jakob Heinrich Laspeyres Jakob Heinrich Laspeyres (; 9 April 1769, Berlin – 28 November 1809, Berlin) was a German entomologist especially interested in Lepidoptera. He was a Bürgermeister in Berlin. Laspeyres collection is in Museum für Naturkunde.Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

species most of which have common names involving the phrase "elephant hawk moth". They include the elephant hawk moth, ''Deilephila elpenor''; the small elephant hawk moth (''D. porcellus'') and the Chitral elephant hawk moth (''D. rivularis''). The

oleander hawk moth ''Daphnis nerii'', the oleander hawk-moth or army green moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Distribution ''Daphnis nerii'' is a large hawk-moth found in wi ...

is sometimes classified in this genus as '' D. nerii'', but sometimes treated in genus ''

Daphnis In Greek mythology, Daphnis (; , from , ''daphne'', "Bay Laurel") was a legendary Sicilian cowherd who was said to be the inventor of pastoral poetry. According to Diodorus the Sicilian (1st century BC), Daphnis was born in the Heraean Mountai ...

''. The adults are quite similar to those of the related and larger genus '' Hyles''. However their eyelashes are much more distinct, and the numerous spines on their

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

s are less strongly

chitin Chitin (carbon, C8hydrogen, H13oxygen, O5nitrogen, N)n ( ) is a long-chain polymer of N-Acetylglucosamine, ''N''-acetylglucosamine, an amide derivative of glucose. Chitin is the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature (behind only cell ...

ized. They lay pale glossy green eggs. The

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e are not typical of hawk moth caterpillars, with the horn on the terminal segment being less pronounced than usual, and absent in some species. The head and

thorax The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of mammals and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main di ...

segments can be retracted into the first and second segments of the abdomen, which then appear enlarged and display eyespots. The caterpillars feed mainly on plants of the

Onagraceae The Onagraceae are a family of flowering plants known as the willowherb family or evening primrose family. They include about 650 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees Rubiaceae Rubiaceae () is a family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with Petiole ( ...

families. * ''

Deilephila askoldensis ''Deilephila askoldensis'' is a moth of the family Sphingidae. Distribution It is found in southeastern Russia, northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and northern Japan. Description ''D. askoldensis'' has a wingspan of . Deilephila as ...

'' (Oberthür, 1879) * ''

Deilephila elpenor ''Deilephila elpenor'', the elephant hawk moth or large elephant hawk moth, is a moth in the family Sphingidae. Its common name is derived from the caterpillar's resemblance to an elephant's trunk. It is most common in central Europe and is dist ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''

Deilephila porcellus ''Deilephila porcellus'', the small elephant hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Distribution It is found in Europe, North Africa ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''

Deilephila rivularis ''Deilephila rivularis'', the Chitral elephant hawk moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1875. It is found in east and central Afghanistan, Pakistan (north of Karachi) and in north ...

'' (Boisduval, 1875) Deilephila askoldensis MHNT CUT 2010 0 499 Ussuri, Gornotajosnoje, Russia - male.jpg, ''Deilephila askoldensis'' Deilephila elpenor MHNT.jpg, ''Deilephila elpenor'' Deilephila porcellus MHNT.jpg, ''Deilephila porcellus''

References

Macroglossini Sphingidae genera Taxa named by Jakob Heinrich Laspeyres {{Macroglossini-stub