Hawk moth - Definition and Overview

<tr><td> Hawk moths Hummingbird hawk moth Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Superfamily: Bombycoidea Family: Sphingidae Genera Macroglossinae Smerinthinae Sphinginae etc. Author: Latreille, 1802 Type species: Sphinx ligustri (Privet Hawk-moth) Diversity: 200 genera 1,200 species

Hawk moths are moths in the Sphingidae family. They are some of the fastest flying insects, capable of flying at over 30 miles per hour (50 km/h). They have a wingspan of 35-150 millimeters. Some hawk moths, like the hummingbird hawk moth, hover in midair while they feed on nectar from flowers and are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds, even in continents where hummingbirds are not found.

Hawk moth larvae are known as hornworms, because they have a "horn" at the posterior end. Large green tomato hornworms are a familiar sight to vegetable gardeners, usually noticed only after they have defoliated large amount of tomato leaves. Tobacco hornworms (Manduca sexta) feed on tobacco leaves.

Snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis)
Lake Junaluska, North Carolina

Some species

• Death's head moth (Acherontia atropos)
• Hummingbird hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)