Colin Knight came across my website while hunting for
the id of a Hawk Moth caterpillar he photographed in Dhahran Hills in 2009
where he worked for Saudi Aramco for over 25 years, leaving in 2008. Colin
returned briefly to Dhahran in March 2009 and photographed two different
looking Hawk Moth caterpillars near the percolation pond that he has just identified
as the Striped Hawk Moth Hyles
livornica which have considerable variation in the pattern of caterpillar. Colin
very kindly gave me permission to use his photographs on my website which are
reproduced below. The Striped Hawk-moth is the most common Hawk Moth
in Arabia, it is an insect of the open desert where it breeds on a number of
different plants. It flies at night and migrates to other countries reaching as
far north as Scandinavia. A successful
breeding season often occurs after heavy rain with vast numbers of moths
occurring. The thorax of the Striped Hawk-moth has four distinct white stripes
running lengthways, and the antennae have white tips. There is a white dorsal
stripe running along the abdomen and each of the underwings has a bright red
patch.
%2C%2B29%2BMarch%2B2009%2C%2B5353.jpg "Striped Hawk Moth")
%2C%2B29%2BMarch%2B2009%2C%2B53531.jpg "Striped Hawk Moth")
%2C%2B29%2BMarch%2B2009%2C%2B53532.jpg "Striped Hawk Moth")
%2C%2B29%2BMarch%2B2009%2C%2B53533.jpg "Striped Hawk Moth")