Cephonodes kingii | Australian Insects Website

Cephonodes kingii (W.S. Macleay, [1826])
Gardenia Bee Hawk
(erroneously: Cephanodes kingi)
SPHINGIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans
&
Stella Crossley

(updated 13 September 2010)

early instar
(Photo: courtesy of Tom and David Sleep, Brisbane)

These Caterpillars when they first hatch are pale green with a short black tail horn..

(Photo: courtesy ofBruce Anstee, Riverstone, Sydney)

The Caterpillars later become black, grey, or green, often with black lines across the back. The back of the head and the final claspers are covered in small white warts. The caterpillars have posterior horn shaped like a shallow ‘S’, and have white spiracles along each side outlined in red. The head colour varies from brown to green.

(Photo: courtesy ofBruce Anstee, Riverstone, Sydney)

These Caterpillars have usually been found feeding on plants in RUBIACEAE, including:

Gardenia ( Gardenia jasminoides ),

but they have also been found on :

Australian Native Myrtle ( Canthium attenuatum ),
Coast Canthium ( Canthium coprosmoides ),
Alahe’e ( Canthium odoratum ),
Wild Lemon ( Canthium oleifolium ),
Australian Native Gardenia ( Gardenia ovularis ),
Scented Gardenia ( Larsenaikia=Gardenia ochreata ), and
Butterfly Bush ( Pavetta australiensis ),

as well as :

Alfalfa ( Lucerne: Medicago sativa, FABACEAE ) and
Lemon ( Citrus limon , RUTACEAE ).

When threatened, the Caterpillars arch back, and regurgitate a green fluid. If the Caterpillars are crowded, they may eat each other.

The Caterpillars pupate under the soil. The pupa is naked and dark brown, with a length of about 5 cms.

recently emerged adult, still shedding wing scales
(Photo: courtesy of Catriona Coote, Sydney)

The adult moths are initially a dirty green colour, but soon lose the scales from the wings, leaving them transparent.

The moths then resemble Bumble Bees, hence the name ‘Bee Hawks’ for the moths in this genus Cephonodes. The green colour of the thorax fades to brown in older museum specimens. The abdomen is yellow with a black band around the first few abdominal segments, and a dark mark on the next segment. There is a black fringe around the tip of the abdomen. The wings are generally transparent except that the forewings each have a broad opaque area near the tip.

(Photo: courtesy of Jonathan and Glynne Wood, Artarmon, NSW)

The moth has a wingspan of about 4 cms. The moths hover over flowers to feed on nectar, beating their wings so fast that they hum, and are a blur.

adult moth hovering and feeding on Rose Periwinkle (Vinca rosea)
(Photo : courtesy of Leigh Whisson, Doolgunna Station, near Meekatharra, Western Australia.)

The eggs are pale green, smooth, and oval. They are usually laid singly on the undersides of young leaves. The eggs have a diameter of about 0.5 mm.

egg, magnified

The species is found over the northern two thirds of Australia.