Macroglossum poecilum is a moth

Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...

 of the Sphingidae

Sphingidae

Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...

 family. It is known from Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, southern Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 (Ryukyu Archipelago) and Malaysian northern Borneo

Borneo

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

 (Sarawak).

It is similar to Macroglossum insipida

Macroglossum insipida

Macroglossum insipida is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is known from Sri Lanka, southern and eastern India, Nepal, Thailand, southern China, Taiwan, Japan , Vietnam, Malaysia , Indonesia , Papua New Guinea and Queensland.The wingspan is 40-54 mm...

. The upperside of the body and wings have a reddish flush. The abdomen upperside has prominent dark paired spots and the yellow lateral spots are reduced. The abdomen underside has no black ventral patches.

Larvae have been recorded feeding on Lasianthus chinensis in Hong Kong.