Hyles tithymali

Description

Hyles tithymali is a moth of the family Sphingidae first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1834. It is found in North Africa, the Canary Islands, Madeira, some islands in the Mediterranean Sea and in the mountains in Yemen. The length of the forewings is 45–85 mm. The larvae feed on Euphorbia. It is thought that Hyles tithymali had a much larger range in Europe, but has been pushed further south after the cooling c. 3600 years ago. Its place has been taken over by Hyles euphorbiae, which is more resistant to the cold. Because of this, many isolated populations exist today, many of which have developed into distinct subspecies.