Sphingidae : Macroglossinae
Hummingbird Hawk-moth
MACROGLOSSUM stellatarum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Hummingbird Hawk-moth
MACROGLOSSUM stellatarum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 50-58mm
Worldwide Distribution: North Africa : Southern Europe : Central Europe : Asia Minor : Central Asia : Southern India : Indochina
UK Distribution: Immigrant from southern Europe
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Can be seen anywhere from gardens,coastal areas, woodland rides and downland.
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates in a flimsy cocoon close to the ground amongst larval food plant litter.
Overwinters as: Hibernating adult in mild winters
Observations: The Hummingbird Hawk-moth is an immigrant from southern Europe that on some years arrive in good numbers from April onwards, although first sightings can be as early as January.
As the name suggests the Hummingbird Hawk-moth resembles a Hummingbird in flight as it darts from one bloom to another feeding on its favourite nectar plants like,Viper's Bugloss,Red Valerian,Phlox,Buddleias,Jasmine and Petunias.
On the occasion where the moth is found circulating an area close to the ground the probability is that it is a female checking the larval food plants before depositing a single round ova just below the growing tip of the plant as seen by me at Old Winchester Hill in Warnford,Hampshire.
Although the similar species is similar in many ways it is not difficult to recognise M.stellatarum in flight as the hindwing ruddy brown background colour is clearly visible.
The moth is diurnal and although the moth is usually seen under hot sunny conditions I have encountered the moth at 8am in cloudy, cool conditions, feeding on my garden Honeysuckle.
Recordings of hibernating moths have been made over a number of years in south-west England, during mild winters, in outbuildings,lofts,garages and in holes in walls or trees.
Worldwide Distribution: North Africa : Southern Europe : Central Europe : Asia Minor : Central Asia : Southern India : Indochina
UK Distribution: Immigrant from southern Europe
UK Conservation Status -
- Migrant
- Least Concern
- Sphinx stellatarum Linnaeus, 1758
- Sphinx stellatarum Linnaeus, 1758
- Not Specified
Habitat: Can be seen anywhere from gardens,coastal areas, woodland rides and downland.
Similar Species -
- Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Hemaris fuciformis Linnaeus, 1758
Pupa: Pupates in a flimsy cocoon close to the ground amongst larval food plant litter.
Overwinters as: Hibernating adult in mild winters
Observations: The Hummingbird Hawk-moth is an immigrant from southern Europe that on some years arrive in good numbers from April onwards, although first sightings can be as early as January.
As the name suggests the Hummingbird Hawk-moth resembles a Hummingbird in flight as it darts from one bloom to another feeding on its favourite nectar plants like,Viper's Bugloss,Red Valerian,Phlox,Buddleias,Jasmine and Petunias.
On the occasion where the moth is found circulating an area close to the ground the probability is that it is a female checking the larval food plants before depositing a single round ova just below the growing tip of the plant as seen by me at Old Winchester Hill in Warnford,Hampshire.
Although the similar species is similar in many ways it is not difficult to recognise M.stellatarum in flight as the hindwing ruddy brown background colour is clearly visible.
The moth is diurnal and although the moth is usually seen under hot sunny conditions I have encountered the moth at 8am in cloudy, cool conditions, feeding on my garden Honeysuckle.
Recordings of hibernating moths have been made over a number of years in south-west England, during mild winters, in outbuildings,lofts,garages and in holes in walls or trees.
Photo Gallery
Ovum
Larva
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Rubiaceae - Bedstraw Family
- Galium album - White Bedstraw
- Galium aparine - Goosegrass - Cleavers
- Galium mullugo - Hedge Bedstraw
- Galium sylvaticum - Wood Bedstraw
- Galum verum - Lady's Bedstraw
- Rubia peregrina - Wild Madder
- Rubia tinctorum - Madder
- Galium album - White Bedstraw
- Valerianaceae - Valerian Family
- Centranthus ruber - Red Valerian
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Subtribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - MACROGLOSSUM: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Bombycoidea Sphingidae Macroglossinae Macroglossini Macroglossina MACROGLOSSUM Scopoli, 1777 Macroglossum stellatarum (Linnaeus, 1758) - Sphinx stellatarum (Linnaeus, 1758) - SPHINX stellatarum (Linnaeus, 1758) = Sphinx flavida Retzius, 1783 = Macroglossa nigra Cosmovici, 1892 = subnubila Schultz, 1904 = fasciata Rebel, 1910 = convergens Constantini, 1916 = approximata Lempke, 1959 = clausa Lempke, 1959 = candidum Eitschberger, 1971 = minor Vilarubia, 1974. - MACROGLOSSUM Scopoli 1777 =Macroglossa Boisduval 1833 =Macroglossa Ochsenheimer 1816 =Rhamphoschisma Wallengren 1858 =Rhopalopsyche Butler 1875 =Bombylia Hübner 1822 =Psithyros Hübner 1822 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.493 - n.26 - Not Specified - M.s.f.fasciata Rebel, 1910-Broad black band in middle of forewing |