The Amazing Hummingbird Hawk Moth
Published by It hovers, it hums – but it is not a hummingbird. Take a look at one of, if not the most amazing, then certainly the coolest insects on the planet – The Hummingbird Hawk Moth.
You hear a humming sound- Is it a bird, is it a plane? At the risk of sounding frivolous it is difficult not to get excited at the sight of one of these astounding creatures. From a distance you would be forgiven – and this is no accident – if you thought that a host of hummingbirds had alighted in your garden. However, closer inspection would reveal a surprising lack of avian characteristics and you would be forced to re-assess the situation. With no legs or claws – and certainly no beak what you have here is a moth. No ordinary moth either – just take a look at that tongue, that isn’t actually a tongue. You may well ask, if it isn’t a tongue then what on earth is it?
There aren’t many – if any – tongues that can do that and it has a different function. What that amazing body part is called is a proboscis. That is the name given to an extended appendage from the head of an animal, even an insect such as this. This elongated organ is for sucking (more about that later) and it is also known as a haustellum. It is made up of two tubes that are held together by hooks. Strangely (and even scarily) enough these tubes can be separated – unhooked – when the moth needs to clean it. Each tube is concave on the inner side and this means that when they come together they form a central tube – and this is what the Hummingbird Hawk Moth (Latin name Macroglossum stellatarum) uses to suck up pollen as well as moisture.
How is the suction actually made, though? This is where the physiology of the Hummingbird Hawk Moth gets a little more bizarre. It has a sac in its head and it contacts and expands this sac. When this happens the suction simply happens. Most Lepidoptera (the order of animals in which both moths and butterflies belong) have this type of proboscis. Some though, do not have mouth parts at all and so do not feed in the imago (the adult form). There are some though that have mouth parts which are used to chew. The Hummingbird Hawk Moth, though, uses its proboscis – and it is a hungry insect indeed.
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40 Responses to “The Amazing Hummingbird Hawk Moth”
On January 12, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Have not seen these guys very often but when I do it’s always a treat!
On January 13, 2010 at 1:20 am
do these moths live in the same areas as actual hummingbirds?
if they do, could it possibly be a form of camouflage? [as they come out during the day. pretty bold for a moth]
if they live nowhere near hummingbirds – wow. that blows my mind.
On January 13, 2010 at 3:14 pm
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On March 1, 2010 at 12:56 pm
I live in Connecticut Usa I have seen six different Hummingbird moths. I have a picture of an orange and dark brown one. I have seen one like picture in article. I saw another one when trying to take picture of butterfly in corner of frame I saw the creme or white head looking at me I dropped the camera then it was gone.The sphinx one i believe. Six different colors total. They are very difficult to get a picture of unless resting. I would like to forward picture to author of article. Picture was taken on buddlea or butterfly bush last summer. It is not very clear but hold a magifying glass to it you can see the back end. Hope to see them again now that I what they are. Wanda Kryzwick
On March 15, 2010 at 9:06 am
These little guys love my garden here in Cyprus, they are great to see.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:06 am
Brilliant work as ever, and what a great subject ! This is one insect I’ve always wanted to see. We live in Wales, and although we occasionally see interesting insects, particularly as the summers appear to be gaining heat, we’re not lucky enough to see this beauty. I envy anyone who’s seen one first hand. Well written article with gloriously detailed pictures.
Thank you again Mr Evans !
Kind regards
Aldrin
On March 15, 2010 at 9:06 am
I saw one of these a few years ago, and thought I was imagining things – it appeared to be a hummingbird at first glance. It certainly is a sight you don’t forget. Good info.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:07 am
I loved this little guys..so cute..very interesting article and beautiful pictures as always..Loved it..Thanks for sharing. cheers
On March 15, 2010 at 9:07 am
Great article man. As always. There is lot to learn from each of your article.Thanks Again “Liked it”
On March 15, 2010 at 9:07 am
YOUR ARTICLE IS EDUCATIONAL AND THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION THE WORLD HAS TO KNOW
On March 15, 2010 at 9:08 am
so tiny and cute!
On March 15, 2010 at 9:08 am
wonderful article
I have tried to capture the images of this moth but it is too fast for my sony DSC camera.
Nice pictures and great information
On March 15, 2010 at 9:09 am
Interesting *:)
Blessings.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:09 am
A lovely article, with great pictures Aaah! LB
On March 15, 2010 at 9:10 am
Well written and informative, never thought a moth could be so interesting.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:10 am
Lovely pictures that complimented a very interesting article. Love it RJ.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:10 am
wow, really fun, love the pictures
On March 15, 2010 at 9:10 am
Thank you, Mr. Evans. The optics and prose weave together wonderfully. It’s a shame for me that I’ll probably never encounter one of these extraordinary creatures.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:11 am
Really amazing creature. Nice article again with a great selection of photos.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:11 am
wow
On March 15, 2010 at 9:11 am
Wow, it’s beautiful – quite the amazing little guy! Great pictures and information
Thanks for sharing.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:12 am
stupid
On March 15, 2010 at 9:12 am
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On March 15, 2010 at 9:12 am
That is so interesting. Down here in the south we have neither hummingbirds or these moths. Beautiful pictures. Thanks for the education.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:13 am
Great article, it is very informative and I love the photos. The Hummingbird Hawk Moth is a very interesting insect. The photos are truly mesmerizing. Thanks for sharing it, I learned something today!
On March 15, 2010 at 9:13 am
Very interesting information and wonderful pictures.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:13 am
Wow that is one huge moth! Amazing creature.
On March 15, 2010 at 9:14 am
Excellent Pictures and Article too!
On March 15, 2010 at 9:14 am
Interesting article…great….
On March 15, 2010 at 9:16 am
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On March 15, 2010 at 9:19 am
I’ve seen one before in my garden and mistaken it for a hummingbird. The twin antennae were odd for a bird though.:)
On March 16, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Oh my Gosh…this is what I saw a few years ago. It was almost dark & I couldn’t get a real good look at it, but I was repotting some flowers on my deck & this tiny little thing was flitting from flower to flower. I thought I was seeing a baby Humming bird. WOW!! It came back for 3 evenings in a row at the same time, to the same flowers. Tried to get a pic of it, but never could. I’ve never seen anything like it again. I’m in Mich, & from the article above, I was probably seeing the cousin of those in the above piece. Amazing! Made my day.
On March 16, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Awesome little thing!
On April 22, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Does anyone know where these moths usually live? I found one in my back yard and i looked it up, but the website I was on said it was found only in Europe. That cant be right, becaus I live in the US. If a anyone knows, let me know.
On April 30, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Really lovely photos! I live in SW France and these delightful little creatures are frequent visitors to my garden but my camera isn’t fast enough, alas, to capture them in action. They’re very speedy little moths so thank you for the chance to see them at close range!
On June 29, 2010 at 4:21 pm
I have two of these moths that visit my flowers every evening. It’s grey with black markings. I took a video with my phone then looked it up. Awesome!
On August 18, 2010 at 5:11 pm
check out the link below, I saw one last night, wow so I got my camera & took a video. Very strange, now I have learned what a cool Moth it was..
Gary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8TwNX8yxxU
On August 19, 2010 at 2:48 pm
These moths are spectacular I live in kent and have frequently seen these moths this year on my neighbours Buddleia.
On August 30, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Was in DC over the weekend for my daughter’s wedding at the Meadowlark Atrium in Vienna,VA. Saw 2 or 3 of them at the entrance to the gardens. These were the first I had ever seen and were spectacular!!
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