Macroglossum trochilus
Encyclopedia
The African Humming Bird Moth (Macroglossum trochilus) is a moth
of the Sphingidae
family. It is very common in most habitats throughout southern and eastern Africa
and in the Comoro Islands
.
Adults are frequently seen at flowers in full sunshine.
The length of the forewings is 15-18 mm. The antennae are blackish. The head and thorax are pale olive above and very pale buff below. The abdomen is pale olive above and orange laterally. The posterior segments are darker dorsally, with a yellow distal fringe. The anal fan is very dark brown, tipped with buff. The small lateral tufts are dark brown and white.
The abdomen is reddish brown below. The forewings are brown with a series of darker transverse bands. The hindwings are orange with a very broad dark reddish brown border. Both wings are brownish red below.
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 very common in most habitats throughout southern and eastern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and in the Comoro Islands
Comoro Islands
The Comoros Islands form an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the south-east coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique and north-west of Madagascar. They are divided between the sovereign state of Comoros and the French overseas department of Mayotte...
.
Adults are frequently seen at flowers in full sunshine.
The length of the forewings is 15-18 mm. The antennae are blackish. The head and thorax are pale olive above and very pale buff below. The abdomen is pale olive above and orange laterally. The posterior segments are darker dorsally, with a yellow distal fringe. The anal fan is very dark brown, tipped with buff. The small lateral tufts are dark brown and white.
The abdomen is reddish brown below. The forewings are brown with a series of darker transverse bands. The hindwings are orange with a very broad dark reddish brown border. Both wings are brownish red below.