Sphingidae

family of insects (moths)

Sphingidae is a family of moths (Lepidoptera), commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms. It includes about 1,450 species.[1] It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region.[2]

Hawk moths
Hummingbird hawk-moth
Macroglossum stellatarum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Superfamily:
(unranked):
Family:
Sphingidae
Subfamilies

Macroglossinae
Smerinthinae
Sphinginae

They can fly fast, and their wings can be linked by wing coupling. They can hover, and can move from side to side while hovering. This may be to deal with ambush predators that lie in wait in flowers.[3]

Species

change

There are around 1200 species of hawk moth, classified into around 200 genera. Some of the best known species are:

References

change
  1. van Nieukerken; et al. (2011). "Order Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3148: 212–221. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3148.1.41.
  2. Scoble, Malcolm J. (1995): The Lepidoptera: form, function and diversity. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press & Natural History Museum London. ISBN 0-19-854952-0
  3. Kitching, Ian J (2002). "The phylogenetic relationships of Morgan's Sphinx, Xanthopan morganii (Walker), the tribe Acherontiini, and allied long-tongued hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae, Sphinginae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 135 (4): 471–527. doi:10.1046/j.1096-3642.2002.00021.x.