- For a complete species list of this family, see the Sphingidae species list
This list is the world-spanning species list for the Family Sphingidae of moths , commonly known as Hawk-Moths. This list contains all known species of Sphingidae in order of subfamily. There should be about 1,288 species listed...
.
Sphingidae is a family of moths (
LepidopteraLepidoptera is an order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
), commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species (Grimaldi & Engel, 2005). It is best represented in the
tropicsThe tropics,the tropics are very hot. hi everyone! peace out!seated in the equatorial regions of the world, are limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' N latitude and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at 23°26' S latitude...
but there are species in every region (Scoble, 1995). They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid, sustained flying ability (Scoble, 1995). The narrow wings and streamlined abdomen are clearly adaptations for rapid flight.
Some hawk moths, like the hummingbird hawk moth, hover in midair while they feed on nectar from flowers and are sometimes mistaken for
hummingbirdHummingbirds are among the smallest of birds, and include the smallest extant bird species, the Bee Hummingbirds. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12-90 times per second . They can also fly backwards, and are the only group of birds able to do so. Their English name derives...
s. This hovering capability has evolved only three times in nectar feeders: in hummingbirds, certain bats, and these sphingids (Kitching, 2002) (an example of
convergent evolutionConvergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are similar in...
). Sphingids have been much studied for their flying ability, especially their ability to move rapidly from side to side while hovering, called 'swing-hovering.' It is thought that this evolved to deal with ambush predators that lie in wait in flowers (Kitching, 2002).
Some of the sphingids are some of the fastest flying
insectInsects are arthropods, having a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include more than a million species that are already described. Insects represent more than half of all...
s, capable of flying at over 50 km/h (30
miles per hourThe mile per hour is a unit of speed, measured in Imperial units expressing the number of international miles covered per hour.It is currently the unit used for speed limits, and speeds, on roads in the United Kingdom and United States...
). They have a wingspan of 35-150
mmThe millimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousandth of a metre, which is the current SI base unit of length.Equal to 1000 micrometres.Equal to 1000000 nanometres....
.
Life cycle
Most species are multivoltine, capable of producing several generations a year if weather conditions permit (Pittaway, 1993).
Eggs
Females lay translucent greenish, flattened, smooth eggs (Scoble, 1995). Eggs are usually laid singly (Grimaldi & Engel, 2005) on the host plants (Pittaway, 1993). Egg development time varies highly, from 3 to 21 days (Pittaway, 1993).
Larvae
Sphingid
caterpillarCaterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered pests in agriculture...
s are medium to large in size, with stout bodies. They have 5 pairs of prolegs (Pittaway, 1993). Usually their bodies lack any hairs or tubercules, but most species have a "horn" at the posterior end (Scoble, 1995), which may be reduced to a button, or absent, in the final
instarAn instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions or changes in the number of...
(Pittaway, 1993). Many are
crypticCryptic can refer to:* Crypsis, of animals that are difficult to observe* Cryptic crossword, a crossword with cryptic clues* Cryptic era, earliest period of the Earth* Cryptic, an album by Edge of Sanity* Cryptic Writings, an album by Megadeth...
greens and browns, and have countershading patterns to conceal them. Others are more conspicuously coloured, typically with white spots on a black or yellow background along the length of the body. A pattern of diagonal slashes along the side is a common feature. When resting, the
larvaA larva is a young form of animal with indirect development, going through or undergoing metamorphosis ....
usually holds the legs off the surface and tucks its head underneath, which gives rise to the name 'sphinx moth' (Pittaway 1993). Some tropical larvae are thought to mimic snakes (Scoble, 1995). Larvae are quick to regurgitate their sticky, often toxic,
foregutThe foregut is the anterior part of the alimentary canal, from the distal third of the esophagus to the duodenum at the entrance of the bile duct. At this point it is continuous with the midgut...
contents on attackers such as ants and parasitoids (Pittaway, 1993). Development rate depends on temperature, and to speed development some northern and high altitude species sunbathe (Pittaway, 1993).
Larvae burrow into soil to go into chrysalis, where they remain for 2-3 weeks before they emerge as adults.
Pupae
In some sphingidae, the pupa has a free proboscis, rather than being fused to the pupal case as is most common in Macrolepidoptera (Scoble, 1995). They have a
cremasterCremaster is a term derived from the Greek verb κρεμάννυμι = "I hang ", not from Latin cremare = "to burn". It may refer to:* The cremaster muscle, part of genital anatomy in humans...
at the tip of the abdomen (Pittaway, 1993). Usually they pupate off the host plant, in an underground chamber, among rocks, or in a loose cocoon (Pittaway, 1993). In most species, the pupa is the overwintering stage.
Description
Antennae are generally not very feathery, even in the males (Scoble, 1995). They lack
tympanal organA Tympanal organ is a hearing organ in insects, consisting of a membrane stretched across a frame backed by an air sac. Sounds vibrate the membrane, and the vibrations are sensed by a chordotonal organ....
s but members of the tribe Choerocampini have hearing organs on their heads (Scoble, 1995). They have a
frenulumA frenulum is a small fold of tissue that secures or restricts the motion of a mobile organ in the body.-In human anatomy:...
and retinaculum to join hindwings and forewings (Scoble, 1995). The thorax, abdomen, and wings are densely covered in scales. Sphingids may have a reduced proboscis, but most have a very long proboscis (Scoble, 1995). They use it to feed on nectar from flowers. Most are
crepuscularCrepuscular is a term used to describe some animals that are primarily active during twilight, that is at dawn and at dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight." Crepuscular is thus in contrast with diurnal and nocturnal behavior. Crepuscular animals may also be...
or nocturnal, but some species fly during the day (Pittaway, 1993). Both males and females are relatively long-lived (living 10 to 30 days) (Pittaway, 1993). Prior to flight, most species shiver their flight muscles to warm them up, and, during flight, body temperatures may surpass 40°C (Pittaway, 1993) .
In some species,
sexual dimorphismSexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. Examples include colour , size, and the presence or absence of parts of the body used in courtship displays or fights, such as ornamental feathers, horns, antlers or tusks.-Examples:In...
(differences in form between the sexes) is quite marked. For example, in the African species
Herse convolvuli (the
ConvolvulusConvolvulus is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the bindweed family Convolvulaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Common names include bindweed and morning glory, both names shared with other closely related genera....
or Morning Glory Hawk Moth), the antennae are thicker and wing markings more mottled in the male than in the female. Only males have both an undivided frenular hook and a retinaculum. Also all male hawk moths have a partial comb of hairs along their antennae. (
PinheyElliot Charles Gordon Pinhey , was an entomologist who worked in Africa and specialised in African Lepidoptera and Odonata. Born of British parents on holiday in Belgium, Pinhey made major contributions in entomology to the knowledge of butterflies, moths and dragonflies...
, 1962) Females call males to them with
pheromoneA pheromone is a chemical signal that triggers a natural response in another member of the same species. There are alarm pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and many others that affect behavior or physiology. Their use among insects has been particularly well documented...
s. The male may douse the female with a pheromone (Pittaway, 1993) before mating.
Behaviour
Some species fly only for short periods either around dusk or dawn, while other species only appear later in the evening and others around midnight. But such species may occasionally be seen feeding at flowers during the day. There are a few common species in Africa, such as
Cephonodes hylas virescens (the Oriental Bee Hawk),
Leucostrophus hirundo and
Macroglossum trochilus, which are diurnal (Pinhey, 1962).
Larvae
Sphingid larvae tend to be specific feeders, rather than generalists (Pittaway, 1993). Compared to similarly sized
saturniidsThe Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, are among the largest and most spectacular of the moths. They form a family of Lepidoptera, with an estimated 1,300 to 1,500 described species worldwide...
, sphingids eat soft young leaves of host plants with small toxic
moleculeA molecule is defined as an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement held together by very strong chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from polyatomic ions in this strict sense...
s, and chew and mash the food into very small bits (Bernays & Janzen, 1988). Some species can tolerate quite high concentrations of specific toxins.
Tobacco hornwormManduca sexta L. is a moth of the family Sphingidae present through much of the American continent. Commonly known as the tobacco hornworm, it is closely related to and often confused with the very similar tomato hornworm ; the larvae of both feed on the foliage of various plants from the family...
s,
Manduca sexta, detoxify and rapidly excrete
nicotineNicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants which constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots, and accumulating in the leaves...
, as do several other related sphinx moths in the subfamilies
SphinginaeThe Sphinginae are a subfamily of the hawkmoths , moths of the order Lepidoptera. Notable taxa include the Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth, Agrius cingulata, being a very common and recognizable species, the death's-head hawkmoths of Silence of the Lambs fame, and Xanthopan morgani with its enormous...
and
MacroglossinaeThe Macroglossinae are a sub-family of Sphingidae moths in the order Lepidoptera.-Genus Acosmeryx:*Acosmeryx anceus*Acosmeryx castanea*Acosmeryx formosana*Acosmeryx hoenei*Acosmeryx miskini*Acosmeryx naga...
, but members of
SmerinthinaeThe Smerinthinae are a sub-family of Sphingidae moths in the order Lepidoptera.-Genus Adhemarius:Sometimes placed in Sphinginae*Adhemarius blanchardorum*Adhemarius daphne*Adhemarius dariensis*Adhemarius dentoni*Adhemarius donysa...
that were tested are susceptible (Wink & Thiele, 2002). The species that are able to tolerate the toxin do not sequester it in their tissues; 98% was excreted. However, other species, such as
Hyles euphorbiae and
Daphnis nerii do sequester toxins from their hosts, but do not pass them on to the adult stage (Pittaway, 1993).
Adults
Most adults feed on nectar, although a few tropical species feed on eye secretions and the
Death's-head HawkmothThe name Death's-head Hawkmoth refers to any one of the three species of moth in the genus Acherontia. The former species is primarily found in Europe, the latter two are Asian, and most uses of the common name refer to the European species...
steals honey from bees (Pittaway, 1993). Night-flying sphingids tend to prefer pale flowers with long corolla tube and a sweet odour, a
pollination syndromePollination syndromes are suites of flower traits that have evolved in response to natural selection imposed by different pollen vectors, which can be abiotic or biotic, such as birds, bees, flies, and so forth. These traits include flower shape, size, colour, odour, reward type and amount, nectar...
known as 'sphingophily' (Kitching, 2002). Some species are quite general in visitations, while others are very specific, with the plant only being successfully pollinated by a particular species of moth (Kitching, 2002). Orchids frequently have such specific relations with hawkmoths, and very long corolla tubes. The Comet Orchid,
Angraecum sesquipedaleAngraecum sesquipedale is an epiphytic orchid of the genus Angraecum endemic to Madagascar. The orchid was first discovered by the French botanist Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars in 1798, but was not described until 1822...
, a rare
MalagasyMadagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to...
flower with its nectar stored at the bottom of a 30 cm long tube, was described in 1822 by Aubert du Petit-Thouars, and later
Charles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist who realised and presented compelling evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors, through the process he called natural selection...
famously predicted that there must be some specialised animal to feed from it:
"[A. sesquipetale has] nectaries 11 and a half inches long, with only the lower inch and a half filled with very sweet nectar [...] it is, however, surprising, that any insect should be able to reach the nectar: our English sphinxes have probosces as long as their bodies; but in Madagascar there must be moths with probosces capable of extension to a length of between 10 and 12 inches!" (Darwin, 1862:197-198)
Alfred Russel WallaceAlfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist...
published a sort of "
wanted posterA wanted poster is a poster put up to let the public know of a criminal whom authorities wish to apprehend. They will generally include either a picture of the criminal when a photograph is available, or of a facial composite image produced by a police artist. The poster will usually include a...
" (properly, a drawing in a book)
http://perso.orange.fr/cryptozoo/dossiers/xanthopan_wallace.jpg of what this butterfly might look like, and, concurring with his colleague, added:
"[The proboscis of a hawkmoth] from tropical Africa ([Xanthopan] morganii) is seven inches and a half. A species having a proboscis two or three inches longer could reach the nectar in the largest flowers of Angræcum sesquipedale, whose nectaries vary in length from ten to fourteen inches. That such a moth exists in Madagascar may be safely predicted, and naturalists who visit that island should search for it with as much confidence as astronomers searched for the planet NeptuneNeptune is the eighth planet from the Sun in our Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third-largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 Earth masses and...
, – and they will be equally successful." (Wallace, 1867)
Both founders of evolutionary theory were met with ridicule, but 21 years later, the hawkmoth in question was found and described as a
subspeciesSubspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...
of the one mentioned by Wallace:
Xanthopan morganii praedictaXanthopan morgani, or Morgan's Sphinx, is a very large hawk moth from West Africa and Madagascar. It is the sole member of its genus, and little is known of the biology, though the adults have been found to visit orchids , and it is believed that the larvae feed on Uvaria.In January 1862 while...
(Rothschild and Jordan, 1903). Appropriately, the subspecific name
praedicta ("the predicted one") commemorates Darwin's and Wallace's prediction, but only the latter lived to see "their" hawkmoth being found and described, and the subspecies has been subsequently declared as invalid.
Representative species
There are around 1200 species of hawk moth, classified into around 200 genera. Some of the best known species are:
- Privet hawkmoth (Sphinx ligustri)
- Death's-head Hawkmoth
The name Death's-head Hawkmoth refers to any one of the three species of moth in the genus Acherontia. The former species is primarily found in Europe, the latter two are Asian, and most uses of the common name refer to the European species...
(Acherontia atropos)
- Lime Hawk-moth (Mimas tiliae)
- Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi)
- Catalpa Sphinx
The Catalpa Sphinx is a hawk moth of the Sphingidae family.-Range:Ceratomia catalpae is a native of southeastern North America and can be located on catalpa tree that grow within this region.-Life Cycle:...
(Ceratomia catalpae)
- Hummingbird hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
- Elephant hawk moth (Deilephila elpenor)
- Vine hawk moth
The Vine Hawk-Moth or Silver-striped Hawk-Moth is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found in Africa, Southern Europe, Central and Southern Asia and Australia. It can be found further north, because of its migratory nature....
(Hippotion celerio)
- Spurge hawk moth
The Spurge Hawk-moth is a European moth of the family Sphingidae. This hawk moth is used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious weed known as leafy spurge , but usually only in conjunction with other agents...
(Hyles euphorbiae)
- Oleander hawk moth
The Oleander Hawk-moth Daphnis nerii is a moth of the Sphingidae family.-Distribution:Daphnis nerii is a large hawk-moth found in wide areas of Africa and Asia. It is a migratory species, flying to parts of eastern and southern Europe during the summer.-Feeding habits:The adults feed on nectar of...
(Daphnis nerii)
- Tomato worm (Manduca quinquemaculata)
In popular culture
John LinnellJohn Sidney Linnell is an American musician, is known primarily as one half of Brooklyn, New York alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants...
, of the rock band
They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is a double Grammy Award-winning American alternative rock band which began as a duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell, and currently also includes Marty Beller, Dan Miller, and Danny Weinkauf. Formed in 1982, they are best known for an unconventional and experimental style...
, reportedly wrote the song "Bee of the Bird of the Moth" (on their album
The ElseThe Else is the twelfth studio album by rock duo They Might Be Giants, released by Idlewild Records in 2007. The album was produced in part by The Dust Brothers, along with Pat Dillett and the band....
) after he saw a "hummingbird moth", presumably one of the members of this family that resembles a hummingbird.
http://tmbw.net/wiki/Interpretations:Bee_Of_The_Bird_Of_The_Moth
Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the...
includes a sphinx moth in his short story, "The Sphinx". The main character accidentally thinks that the moth on a window is a huge monster. Much to his surprise, his friend points out that it is in fact very close and not on a hill in the distance.
See also
External links