Hippotion celerio, (L.) (Linnaeus, 1758)
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https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v24i73/e4s1004 |
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15643964 |
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https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BC87EF-1047-AE1E-FFCC-A0A7FC9BFDBD |
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Felipe |
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Hippotion celerio |
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3. RESULTS View in CoL AND DISCUSSION
Isolated DNA of reared species revealed its identity based on (National Center for Biotechnology Information) NCBI and Barcode of Life Data Base (BOLD) as Hippotion celerio with 98.91% and 100% percentage identity respectively. Hippotion celerio also known as taro hawkmoth or grapevine sphinx belongs to the family of sphingidae in which they possess a complete life cycle from egg, larva, pupa (chrysalis) and adult ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 ). This family are voracious eaters and specific to the food plants they eat during their larval stage ( Halder et al., 2018).
Egg
The eggs of H. celerio measured 1.0 mm and were round, clear, smooth surface, bluish green in color, but turns to yellowish color prior to emergence. During the actual searching of eggs on the taro leaf found within the vicinity of Musuan they were laid singly on the lower part of the leaf. According to Goldberg et al., (2015) & Messenger, (1997), eggs laid singly to help them survive when they hatched so that they will not starve due to the insufficient amount of food available. However, cultured hawkmoth species laid their eggs in masses since only one plant were placed inside their cage, they usually oviposit their eggs underneath the leaves of the plant. Additionally, some eggs were discovered on the cage's screen, the stalk and the upper side of a leaf. The incubation period is 3–4 days long ( Figure 2 View Figure 2 ).
Larva
Larva of family sphingidae can easily recognized by the presence of caudal horn or button and by 6-8 annulets on each body segments (Devi & Ramaju, 2015; Pittaway & Kitching, 2020: Messenger, 1997). Their body consists of tagmata namely head, thorax and abdomen. They are voracious eaters in which their growth depends on the quality and quantity of plants eaten. H. celerio undergone four ( 4) instars with the duration of nine ( 9) to sixteen ( 16) days and varies in color from yellow (1 st instar), green (2 nd to 4 th instar) to brown (4 th instar).
First Instar
On hatching, the larva starts to consume its egg shell. Its body is slender, cylindrical, smooth and pale-yellow color but after feeding, its thorax and part of its abdomen turns to pale greenish color with long black horn. Head still pale-yellow color without markings. True legs, ventral prolegs and anal plate are similarly colored to its body. When threatened, they started to wiggle their horn. Duration about 2-3 days ( Figure 3 View Figure 3 ).
Second Instar
The body is long (with ten abdominal segments), slender and cylindrical, light to mid-green coloration with white spots all over its body, yellowish on abdominal segment 8 and beyond. Eye-spots is circle with black and yellow coloration appear on the first abdominal segment and larger than the black eyespots on the second abdominal segment. Head pale yellow without markings. Caudal horn is long and black with small spikes, slightly orange at the bottom near the anal part. Thorax bears a ventral true leg (T1-foreleg, T2-mid leg and T3- hind leg) while A3, A4, A5 and A6 bears a caudal prolegs usually with crochets (bi ordinal homoideous mesoseries). A7, A8 and A9 does not bear a pro leg. True legs, ventral prolegs, claspers and anal plate are similarly colored to its body but a little paler. Duration about 2-4 days ( Figure 4 View Figure 4 ).
Third Instar
The body is long (with ten abdominal segments) and cylindrical, light to green coloration with white spots present on the ventral part of its body while black spots were observed dorsally along with the dorso-lateral white lines appears from 2 nd abdominal segments down to the base of the horn. Eye-spots is larger than the second instar with black circle line, dominantly colored yellow inside and composed with two smaller light green circles on the 1 st abdominal segment while eyespots on the 2 nd abdominal segment is smaller with black and white coloration. Head is green with no markings. Caudal horn is long and black with small spikes, with pinkish and orange coloration near the base at the anal plate. Thorax bears a ventral true leg (T1-foreleg, T2- mid leg and T3- hind leg), yellow in color, while A3, A4, A5 and A6 bears a caudal prolegs usually with crochets (bi ordinal, homoideous mesoseries). A7, A8 and A9 does not bear a pro leg. Duration about 3-5 days ( Figure 5 View Figure 5 ).
Fourth Instar
Last instar varies in color from green to dark brown coloration. According to Eacock et al., (2019), it serves as a cue that it has finished eating (or soon will finish eating) and seek a spot to either diapause or form a chrysalis. Sometimes this color change goes from the background color of their host plant (green) to a more earth tone shade (brown) similar to the likely background color of where they will diapause or pupate ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 & 7 View Figure 7 ).
Green form
The body is long (with ten abdominal segments) and cylindrical, green coloration with white spots present on the ventral-lateral part of its body while black spots were observed dorsally along with the thick dorso-lateral white lines and black broken lines that appears from 3 rd abdominal segments down to the base of the horn. Eyespots has black circle line coloration, while the inside has white, yellow and black color with four small white dots at the center. Eyespots present on second abdominal segment, dominantly yellow color with pinch of black on one side. Head is green with no markings but setae (chalaza) were present. Caudal horn is long and black with small spikes, with pinkish and orange coloration near on the base at the anal plate. Thorax bears a ventral true leg (T1- foreleg, T2- mid leg and T3- hind leg), pinkish in color, while A3, A4, A5 and A6 bears a caudal prolegs usually with crochets (biordinal, homoideous mesoseries) as well as the anal prolegs (A10). Its prolegs consists of two parts, the proximal base which bears setae (chalaza) and distal planta which never bears setae (chalaza) but it is where crochets arise. A7, A8 and A9 does not bear a pro leg. Spiracles is oval, brownish color with dark vertical center ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 ).
Dark brown form
The body is still long (with ten abdominal segments) and cylindrical, dark brown coloration were observed all throughout its body with white spots present on the ventral-lateral part of its body while thick dorso-lateral white lines appears from 2 nd thoracic segments down to the base of the horn. Dorsal part of its abdomen as well as its dorso-lateral part has series of wavy black lines. Eyespots have black circle line coloration, while the inside has white, yellow and black color with three small white dots at the center. The eyespots present on its 2 nd abdominal segment is yellow color surrounded with black circle line. Head is dark green with no markings but setae (chalaza) were present. Caudal horn is long and black with small spikes, with pinkish and orange coloration near on the base at the anal plate. Dorsal part of thorax has two yellowish bands from head down to the third thorax. It bears a ventral true leg, pinkish in color and setae (chalaza) were present. Abdominal segment A3, A4, A5 and A6 bears a caudal prolegs usually with crochets (biordinal, homoideous mesoseries) as well as the anal pro leg (A10). Its prolegs consists of two parts, the proximal base which bears setae (chalaza) and distal planta which never bears setae (chalaza) but it is where crochets arise. A7, A8 and A9 does not bear a pro leg. Spiracles oval, still brownish coloration. Its body continued to contract accompanied by the release of fluids from within. In preparation to turn into pupa, it stops eating and make web silken threads onto the leaves to where it covers itself ( Figure 8 View Figure 8 ). Duration about 4-7 days ( Figure 7 View Figure 7 ).
Pupa
Formation of pupa from last instar takes 3 minutes and 44 seconds to fully shed off its skin ( Figure 9 View Figure 9 ). Upon completion of pupation, the head, proboscis, antenna, spiracles, fused wings were still visible and has white coloration ventrally, while patches of brown were seen on the dorsal part of the body along with the dark line on its abdominal segments. After an hour, it turns into its final coloration ( Figure 10 A, B, C View Figure 10 ). Dorsal part is dominantly brown in color, the latter part of its abdominal segments was movable. Spiracles turn black in color. Ventral body part consists of black patches and spots. Cremaster ( Figure 10 D, E, F View Figure 10 ) is pointed, black coloration. Duration about 12-16 days ( Figure 10 View Figure 10 ).
Adult
When the adult emerged, it climbs up to fully expand their wings. The wings are wet and limb. A greenish fluid was observed on the wings of a newly emerged adult hawkmoth. Unpleasant smelling liquid called meconium ( Figure 11 View Figure 11 ) was produced upon hatching. It takes an hour to harden their wings before flight. During dusk, they start flying and mating happens in a short period of time. When they are threatened, they flap their wings faster. A day after, females start to lay their egg with the duration of almost one week ( Figure 12 View Figure 12 ). Female can lay up to 189- 807 eggs. Male and female can be distinguished by the structure of frenulum ( Figure 12 K & L View Figure 12 ) and structure of its antenna ( Figure 12 I & J View Figure 12 ).
The head was dominantly covered with brown and white line anterior its eyes on its dorsal part while ventral part is covered with white. The antennae ranged 0.4 cm - 0.5 cm, proboscis (3.6 cm) and compound black eyes (0.4 cm – 0.5 cm). Dorsal part of its thorax is covered with brown color and ash white on its center part while ventral part is dominantly white: Prothorax (0.5 cm- 0.6 cm), mesothorax (0.3 cm) and metathorax (0.3 cm). Abdomen ranged 2.1 cm – 2.3 cm and its dorsal part is brown with golden stripes on both sides and on its center while ventral part is dominantly white with black dots. Forewing ranged to 3.1 cm – 3.3 cm and its dorsal part is dominantly dark coloration with several white lines. Black dot is present near discal cell. Costal margin is straight with pointed apex. Ventral part dominantly colored gray near the base and light orange with dark spots on post median part. Light yellow above inner margin near the base. Hindwing ranged 2.0 cm – 2.1 cm and its dorsal part has discal cell with yellow and pink coloration, black bands on basal and sub-median part. Outer margin consists of white fringe while ventral part is dominantly pale orange black spots.
Duration of the life cycle of H. celerio ranged 32 days to 34 days until it turns into an adult. This species is voracious eaters that it can consume all preferred food given to them. It is important to study insect’s life cycle to understand how they live, functions and reproduces. This will also help in the management of the said species.
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