Stats

Lifespan: A few weeks
Size: Large
Diet: Nectarivore
Activity: Crepuscular
Social: Solitary
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: Worldwide
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Common

About

Sphinx moths, also called hawk moths, are stout, powerful fliers whose caterpillars are the familiar "hornworms" — large green larvae with a curved spine on the rear that strip tomato, tobacco, and grapevine leaves in gardens. The caterpillar's name comes from the sphinx-like pose it strikes when disturbed, rearing up its front end. Adults are among the fastest-flying insects, hovering at flowers like hummingbirds and sipping nectar through a long, coiled proboscis.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
2.
caterpillar
A voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
3.
cocoon
A silk cocoon spun in leaf litter or soil while the body remodels into a winged adult.
4.
moth
A winged adult with feathery antennae and scaled wings, most active after dark.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae