About Macroglossum fritzei Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
Macroglossum fritzei is a moth species that belongs to the Sphingidae family. This species is documented to occur in south-eastern China, central and southern Japan, Thailand, and Borneo. The forewings of this moth measure 21 mm in length. It can be distinguished from all other Macroglossum species by the very oblique antemedian band on its forewings. The upper surfaces of the head and thorax are dark grey. The upper surface of the abdomen is blackish-brown. The lower surface of the palpus is reddish grey. The lower surface of the thorax is pale red in its central area, and darker along the lateral sides. The lower surface of the abdomen is bright tawny, with brown apical margins and a lateral series of clearly visible buff-yellow spots. The lower surface of the forewing is reddish-chestnut, with a yellowish extreme base; its blackish-brown border is very distinct, formed by a series of irregular buff-yellow postdiscal patches. The lower surface of the hindwing has a broad yellow band. It is reddish on the anterior side, with yellow shading that gradually fades across the disc covering the base and anal areas. The brown border is sharply defined, with faint traces of pale yellow spots along its proximal edge. The larvae of Macroglossum fritzei feed on species from the Morinda and Paederia genera, including Morinda umbellata found in Hong Kong.
