188 BR. J. ENT. NAT. HIST., 7: 1994 



Macroglossum fritzei Rothschild and Jordan, 1903 



Tennent (1992) found that some Macroglossum species, such as M. fritzei, were 

 more frequently seen at light traps than nectaring at flowers. Others are seen in 

 numbers at dusk and dawn visiting flowers such as the golden tear-drop, Duranta 

 repens L., and the introduced Lantana camara L. (both Verbenaceae), the latter 

 of which was flowering in profusion during our visit. Both our specimens of M. fritzei 

 were recorded at light after dark, the one at Tai Po Kau flying in at 20.00 hrs, 

 but we saw none at Lantana. 



Macroglossum corythus luteata (Butler, 1875) 



M. corythus can be confused with M. sylvia (Boisd.) and M. semifasciata 

 (Hampson). However semifasciata has a rather obvious black spot near the base 

 of the forewing. The underside of the abdomen in M. corythus is light brown with 

 small white flecks at the side of the segments. In M. sylvia the underside of the 

 abdomen is dark chocolate brown with broad whitish or cream patches at the sides 

 (I. Kitching, pers. comm.). 



Both Bascombe (in Tennent, 1992) and K. L. have found larvae in the wild on 

 Paederia scandens (Lour.) Merr. (Rubiaceae), commonly known as the chicken-manure 

 creeper, a vine with a distinctive purple and mauve flower, a foul smell, and a habit 

 of growing up over bushes in many habitats. 



Hippotion rosetta (Swinhoe, 1892) 



H. rosetta is shown in D'Abrera (1987) as H. depictum Dupont, 1941, which was 

 synonymized by Holloway (1987). Tennent (1992) points out that it can be difficult 

 to distinguish H. rosetta from H. boerhaviae (F.) and H. rafflesii (Butler) and that 

 the latter is more common than H. rosetta in Hong Kong. Our single H. rosetta 

 taken at Long Harbour has been confirmed by Ian Kitching, who points out that 

 H. boerhaviae has longer thinner forewings, more contrast in the patterning of the 

 forewings, deeper red hindwings and a strong and rather obvious pinkish or white 

 line along the mid-line on the underside of the abdomen (shown in D'Abrera, 1987). 

 It is much less frequently found in degraded habitats than H. rosetta and has not 

 been recorded for certain from Hong Kong (Tennent, 1992). H. rafflesii can be 

 distinguished by the orange anal angle of its hindwing. 



Theretra clotho clotho (Drury, 1773) 



Tennent found this a common and widespread species with adults from April to 

 October and reports that the larva has been found and reared by Mike and Freida 

 Bascombe on Saurauia tristyla de Candolle (Actinidiaceae) in Hong Kong. K. L. has 

 also found the species commonly, with adults from April to November. K. L. informs 

 that Norman Tong found eggs on common grape Vitis vinifera L. at Luk Keng and 

 more recently on S. tristyla on 23 August 1992 at Ho Chung and reared these to adult. 

 Mr Tong also found a full-grown larva on S. tristyla on 1 August 1992 at Jubilee 

 Reservoir. This was reared to adult, pupating on 7 August and emerging on 21 August 

 1992. We only saw one individual, in good condition, at Mai Po on our penultimate 

 night of trapping, and suspect the emergence period was just beginning. 



Theretra latreillii lucasii (Walk., 1856) 



Tennent found this species to be common and widespread but does not give the 

 dates of appearance. K. L. has encountered singletons under lights at Tan Kwai Tsuen, 



