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VOL. 11, ISSUE 2 (2026)
New distributional record of the Eastern Death’s-head Hawkmoth Acherontia styx (Sphingidae) from the Al Dhafra Region, United Arab Emirates
Authors
Suruliyandi Vijayan, Gnanaprakasam Antony Raj, Mohamed Mahmood Al Marzooqi
Abstract
A new distributional record of the Eastern
Death’s-head Hawkmoth Acherontia styx (Westwood, 1847) (Lepidoptera:
Sphingidae) is reported from the Al Dhafra Region, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United
Arab Emirates. A single adult specimen was collected from Madinat Zayed
(23.662680°N, 53.717522°E) using light trapping with a mercury vapour lamp and
white sheet during nocturnal sampling. The specimen was identified based on
diagnostic external morphological characters, including the characteristic
skull-like thoracic pattern, yellow hindwings with distinct black postmedial
bands, and wing patterning consistent with published taxonomic descriptions of
the species. The voucher specimen is deposited in the Entomology Collection of
Entomology Lab, Alphamed Pest Control Services, Lot-4, UAE. This record
represents the first confirmed occurrence of A. styx from the western
region of the United Arab Emirates, extending its known distribution within the
Arabian Peninsula. Diagnostic comparisons with sympatric sphingid species,
including Hyles lineata and Daphnis nerii, are provided. This
finding highlights the importance of continued faunistic surveys in arid and
agro-desert ecosystems of the UAE.
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Pages:56-59
How to cite this article:
Suruliyandi Vijayan, Gnanaprakasam Antony Raj, Mohamed Mahmood Al Marzooqi "New distributional record of the Eastern Death’s-head Hawkmoth <i>Acherontia styx</i> (Sphingidae) from the Al Dhafra Region, United Arab Emirates". International Journal of Zoology Studies, Vol 11, Issue 2, 2026, Pages 56-59
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