Hippotion aporodes

Description

Hippotion aporodes is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from forests from Ivory Coast to the Congo Basin and Uganda. In West Africa it is a strong migrant, moving regularly north and south with the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The length of the forewings is 28–34 mm. It is very closely allied to Hippotion celerio. It differs in being consistently darker, in the oblique band of the forewings being more evenly curved, buff instead of silvery and enclosing three narrow but distinct, dark brown parallel lines. The hindwings are as in Hippotion celerio, but the crimson patch at the base is deeper in tone, the blackish markings are better developed, invading most of the wing with the exception of the base. The inner margin and a series of intemervular post-median spots are crimson.