Macroglossum trochilus (African hummingbird hawkmoth)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Phylum: Arthopoda > Mandibulata > Atelocerata > Panhexapoda > Hexapoda > Insecta (insects) > Dicondyla > Pterygota > Metapterygota > Neoptera > Eumetabola > Holometabola > Panorpida > Amphiesmenoptera > Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) > Glossata > Coelolepida > Myoglossata > Neolepidoptera > Heteroneura > Ditrysia > Apoditrysia > Obtectomera > Macrolepidoptera > Bombycoidea > Family: Sphingidae (hawkmoths) > Subfamily: Macroglossinae

Macroglossum trochilus males [photo J. Joannou ©]

This is one of the three main species of hawkmoth that are active in the daytime, the other two species being Cephanodes hylas and Leucostrophus hirundo.

Distribution

South Africa: Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, 'Transvaal'. Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi to Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Angola to equatorial West Africa (Pinhey 1975).

Larval host-plants

Recorded in Kroon (1999).

Publications

• Kroon, D.M. 1999. Lepidoptera of Southern Africa - Host-plants and other Associations. A Catalogue. Published by the author and Lepidopterists' Society of Africa, P.O. Box 477, Jukskei Park 2153, South Africa. 

• Pinhey, E.C.G. 1975. Moths of Southern Africa. Tafelberg, Cape Town.