D.A. Lane’s scientific contributions

During a visit to Hammond Island, Torres Strait, between 22 March and 4 April 2014, records were kept of adult butterflies and hawkmoths taken, observed or identified from the presence of their early stages. The list of hawkmoths totals 25 species An additional hawkmoth species is included from records of a 1987 trip to Hammond Island by R.B. Lachlan, bringing the total to 26 species. The list of butterflies totals 49 species, comprising 7 of Papilionidae, 4 of Pieridae, 16 of Nymphalidae, 14 of Lycaenidae and 8 of Hesperiidae. © 2015 Entomological Society of Queensland. All rights reserved.

A new genus, Imber, is erected for the Australian hawk moth Langia tropicus based on differences in adult, larval and pupal morphology. Differences from the genus Langia are documented. Most notable differences include the shapes of the male uncus and gnathos, the arrangement of larval tubercles, the shape of the larval head and the shape of the pupa.

The early stages of the hawk moth Langia tropicus Moulds are described from northern Queensland and aspects of the species' biology are discussed. All known larval food plants are members of the coarse-leaved Flame Trees that occur throughout the dry monsoonal tropics of northern Australia, namely Brachychilon chillagoensis Guymer, B. albidus Guymer and B. paradoxus Schott & Endl. (Stereuliaccae). New distribution records from Western Australia and northern Queensland are included.