Macroglossum trochilus

Macroglossum trochilus, the African hummingbird hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1823. It is very common in most habitats throughout southern and eastern Africa and in the Comoro Islands.[2]

African hummingbird hawk-moth
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Genus: Macroglossum
Species:
M. trochilus
Binomial name
Macroglossum trochilus
(Hübner, 1823)[1]
Synonyms
  • Psithyros trochilus Hübner, 1823
  • Macroglossa trochilioides Butler, 1875
  • Macroglossa lysithous Boisduval, 1875
  • Rhamphoschisma fasciatum Wallengren, 1858

Adults are frequently seen at flowers in full sunshine.

The length of the forewings is 15–18 mm. The antennae are blackish. The head and thorax are pale olive above and very pale buff below. The abdomen is pale olive above and orange laterally. The posterior segments are darker dorsally, with a yellow distal fringe. The anal fan is very dark brown, tipped with buff. The small lateral tufts are dark brown and white. The abdomen is reddish brown below. The forewings are brown with a series of darker transverse bands. The hindwings are orange with a very broad dark reddish brown border. Both wings are brownish red below.

References
  1. "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  2. Carcasson, R. H. (1967). "Revised Catalogue of the African Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) with Descriptions of the East African species" (PDF). Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society and National Museum. 26 (3): 1–173 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  • Pinhey, E. (1962): Hawk Moths of Central and Southern Africa. Longmans Southern Africa, Cape Town.


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