Sphinginae
Encyclopedia
The Sphinginae are a subfamily of the hawkmoths (Sphingidae), moth
s 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 (Acherontia spp.) of Silence of the Lambs fame, and Xanthopan morgani
with its enormous proboscis
.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s of the order Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
. Notable taxa include the Pink-Spotted Hawkmoth
Agrius cingulata
The Pink-spotted Hawkmoth or Sweetpotato Hornworm is a species of moth in the Sphingidae family. The imagines have a wingspan of 3 3/4 - 4 3/4 inches . They have a robust gray brown body with pink bands, hence the name. Their abdomen tapers to a point. The hindwings are gray with black bands and...
, Agrius cingulata, being a very common and recognizable species, the death's-head hawkmoths (Acherontia spp.) of Silence of the Lambs fame, and Xanthopan morgani
Xanthopan morgani
Xanthopan 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 .In January 1862 while researching insect pollination of orchids, Charles...
with its enormous proboscis
Proboscis
A proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In simpler terms, a proboscis is the straw-like mouth found in several varieties of species.-Etymology:...
.