Hyles tithymali
Hyles tithymali is a moth of the family Sphingidae first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1834. It is found in North Africa, the Canary Islands, Madeira, some islands in the Mediterranean Sea and in the mountains in Yemen. The length of the forewings is 45–85 mm. The larvae feed on "Euphorbia". It is thought that "Hyles tithymali" had a much larger range in Europe, but has been pushed further south after the cooling 3600 years ago. Its place has been taken over by "Hyles euphorbiae", which is more resistant to the cold. Because of this, many isolated  populations exist today, many of which have developed into distinct subspecies. Subspecies. The following subspecies are recognised: - The taxon "sammuti" [="H. t. sammuti" ] according to molecular studies is a hybrid from "H. euphorbiae" × "H. tithymali". - "Hyles tithymali cretica" is regarded, according to authors, as a full species or as a hybrid from "H. euphorbiae" × "H. tithymali". - The taxonomic final status of the taxon "gallaeci" (larvae very similar to other taxa of the "tithymali" group) is awaiting a study molecular (not only of its mitochondrial DNA, but also of its nuclear DNA).