Brachionycha sphinx (Hufnagel, 1766)


Brachionycha sphinx: Male (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, late November 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Male (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, late November 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Male (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, late November 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Male (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, late November 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Female (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, late November 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Female (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, late November 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Female (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, late November 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Adult (Ulm, Germany) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Egg (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, female in late November 2016) [S] Brachionycha sphinx: Egg (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, female in late November 2016) [S] Brachionycha sphinx: Egg (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, female in late November 2016) [S] Brachionycha sphinx: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, late April 2012) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, late April 2012) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Half-grown larva in moult rest (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2012) [S] Brachionycha sphinx: Half-grown larva (Memmingen, Iller Valley, Germany, May 2011) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Half-grown larva [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2012) [S] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2012) [S] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb 2011) [N] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva (northern Württemberg, May 2011) [S] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva (Schwäbisch Gmünd, late May 2011) [N] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva [N] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, early June 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, early June 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, early June 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Sillenbuch, early June 2016) [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Larva [M] Brachionycha sphinx: Larval habitat on the eastern Swabian Alb at the time of the young larvae (on Tilia) in late April 2012 [N]

Host plants:
The larvae are polyphagous on deciduous wood such as Salix, Tilia, Ligustrum, Prunus and Quercus.

Habitat:
Brachionycha sphinx is a resident of the deciduous forests and other grove-rich areas.

Life cycle:
The egg hibernates and the caterpillar is observed from late April to mid-June. Brachionycha sphinx flies in October and November, and occasionally as late as December.

Remarks:
Brachionycha sphinx is widespread in central and parts of Northern Europe, but occurs in Southern Europe only in the mountains. Here it reaches also Asia Minor.



Brachionycha nubeculosa 
German version / deutsche Version