Range extension of five species of hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) from high altitude areas of Indian Himalaya with additions to the hawkmoth fauna of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

In the present study the range extension in distribution of five species of moths of family Sphingidae has been recorded in high altitude areas of North-west Indian Himalaya in the states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. In the species Smerinthus kindermannii Lederer, 1853 by distance 296 kms; in species Hyles gallii (Rottemburg, 1775) & Hyles hippophaes (Esper, 1789) by distance 216 kms; Hyles livornica (Esper, 1780) by distance 162 kms and Hyles nervosa (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903) by distance 148 kms, in Himachal Pradesh from their known distributions (aerial distances in mountainous terrain). The paper also reports first time record of three species of hawkmoths from the state of Himachal Pradesh.