Overview

Comprehensive Description

General Description

A large (6.5-9.0 cm. wingspan) long-winged and heavy-bodied moth. The forewing is black, with a wide cream-yellow stripe running the length of it and a wide, blue-grey terminal band, all rather sharply separated. The hindwing is black with a wide rose-pink median band and a narrower terminal one, and with a white spot in the anal angle. The similar H. euphorbiae has a mainly light brown forewing freckled with dark spots, and with the black costa replaced by two dark brown spots. H. lineata has the forewing veins outlined in white scales.
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Distribution

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

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National Distribution

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

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Ecology

Habitat

Habitat

Open areas, including clearings, meadows, forest edges and urban gardens, etc.
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Trophic Strategy

Trophic Strategy

No Alberta data; elsewhere Fireweed (Epilobium), Bedstraw (Gallium) and other herbs.
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Associations

Flowering Plants Visited by Hyles gallii in Illinois

Hyles gallii Rottemburg: Sphingidae, Lepidoptera
(this observation is from Heshka; this moth is the Galium Sphinx)

Orchidaceae: Platanthera praeclara sn fq (Hh)

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Life History and Behavior

Cyclicity

Cyclicity

Adults are on the wing from June through early August.
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Life Cycle

Life Cycle

This beautiful moth is the most common and widespread member of the genus in Alberta. It occurs much further north than most of our sphinx moths. It may on occasion be found nectaring at flowers in urban and other gardens in the evening. Like other members of the family, it has a very rapid wingbeat, and can easily be mistaken for a hummingbird. There is one generation per year.
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Molecular Biology and Genetics

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Hyles gallii

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species. 

 
There are 3 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
 
SOWC699-06|BC-Hax2598|Hyles gallii| ---------------------------------------ACATTATATTTTATTTTTGGAATTTGAGCAGGAATAGTAGGAACTTCATTA---AGATTACTAATTCGAGCAGAATTAGGAACTCCCGGATCTTTAATTGGAGAT---GACCAAATTTATAATACAATTGTAACAGCACATGCATTTATTATAATTTTCTTTATAGTAATACCAATTATAATTGGAGGATTTGGTAATTGATTAGTACCTTTAATA---TTAGGGGCACCTGACATAGCATTCCCACGAATAAATAATATAAGATTTTGACTTTTACCCCCATCTTTAACTCTTTTAATTTCTAGAAGTATTGTTGAAAATGGAGCAGGAACAGGTTGAACAGTTTACCCCCCTCTTTCTTCTAACATTGCCCATAGAGGAAGTTCAGTAGATTTA---GCTATTTTTTCCCTTCATTTAGCTGGAATTTCATCAATTATAGGAGCTGTAAATTTTATTACAACAATTATTAATATACGAATTAATAATTTATCATTTGATCAAATACCATTATTTGTTTGAGCTGTTGGAATTACAGCATTTTTATTATTACTATCTTTACCAGTATTAGCTGGT---GCAATTACTATATTATTAACTGACCGAAATCTTAATACATCATTTTTTGATCCTGCTGGAGGAGGAGATCCCATTCTTTATCAACATTTA------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
-- end --

Download FASTA File
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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Hyles gallii

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 3
Species: 29
Species With Barcodes: 1

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Conservation

Conservation Status

Conservation Status

No concerns.
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National NatureServe Conservation Status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

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NatureServe Conservation Status

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

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Wikipedia

Hyles gallii

The Bedstraw Hawk-Moth or Gallium Sphinx (Hyles gallii) is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found in North America, Europe, Central Asia and Japan.

"The Bedstraw Hawk-Moth - Fore wings olive brown, with a broad, irregular, whitish stripe along the middle; hind wings black at the base; then a broad pinkish-white band, quite white near the body, and bright pink about the middle; then a distinct black band, and then a grey margin; thorax and body olive-brown, a white line on each side of the thorax just at the base of the wings; this line runs on each side along the head just above the eye; sides of the body with black and whitish spots. The caterpillar is smooth, bluish-green above, inclining to pink beneath, sometimes brown and sometimes black, but always having a pale, almost yellow, line down the middle of the back, and a row of ten conspicuous eye-like yellow spots, on each side; the head is green, brown, or black, according to the colour of the caterpillar, but the horn above the tail is invariably red. Feeds on the Ladies' Bedstraw on sand-hills by the seacoast, especially near Deal, and is not uncommon, but requires to be diligently sought after. The chrysalis is brown, and is found in the sand. The caterpillar feeds in August and September, and the Moth appears about Midsummer."

This information was taken from the public-domain The Illustrated Natural History of British Moths (1869) by Edward Newman.

References

Walking caterpillar.ogv
A video of a Hyles gallii. Watch it in lower resolution, íf the video hacks.


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