About Sphinx morio Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
Sphinx morio, commonly known as the larch hawk moth or Asian pine hawkmoth, is a moth species belonging to the family Sphingidae. This species is distributed across Russia, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and China. Its wingspan measures between 60 and 80 mm. The larvae of Sphinx morio feed on species from the genera Picea, Larix, Pinus, and Abies. Documented host species include Picea asperata, Picea jezoensis, Larix kaempferi, Larix sibirica, Larix gmelinii var. olgensis, Pinus sibirica, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus koraiensis, Pinus densiflora, Pinus thunbergii, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, and Abies fabri. In the Altai region, Sphinx morio can act as a major pest of Pinus sylvestris, and it sometimes causes complete defoliation of large areas.
