Hemaris dentata
Raised to species status by Rothschild & Jordan, 1903, Novit. zool.9 (suppl.): 441 (key), 459. Transferred to Hemaris by Pittaway, 1983, Entomologist's Gaz.34: 74. Considered to be a probable natural hybrid between Hemaris croatica and H. fuciformis by de Freina, 1988, Nota Lepid.11 : 182-186.
The specimen from "Syria" described by Rothschild & Jordan as Hemaris dentata was incorrectly considered by Kitching & Cadiou to be a specimen of Hemaris fuciformis. De Freina considered that Hemaris dentata was probably a natural hybrid between Hemaris fuciformis and Hemaris croatica, whereas Kitching & Cadiou speculated that Hemaris dentata might represent the female of Hemaris syra. However, this latter hypothesis is now untenable; the male Hemaris dentata illustrated by de Freina closely resembles the holotype female and neither looks similar to the types of Hemaris syra illustrated by Danner et al. In fact, in the differential forewing and hindwing ground colour, Hemaris dentata most closely resembles Hemaris ducalis ducalis.
Similar to heavily marked specimens of Hemaris fuciformis but distinguishable by the brown forewing ground colour contrasting with the orange-brown hindwing ground colour. In this feature, and the almost complete absence of hindwing transparent areas, Hemaris dentata closely resembles some forms of Hemaris ducalis ducalis, but lacks the off-white transverse band on the third abdominal tergite of that species.