Eurasian Hummingbird Hawkmoth
Macroglossum stellatarum
It possesses trichromatic color vision that enables it to learn and distinguish different flower colors even in dim daylight.
- Scientific name
- Macroglossum stellatarum
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Sphingidae › Macroglossum
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Meadows, coastal scrub, forest edges, parks, and cultivated gardens.
- Diet
- Adults feed on flower nectar from plants such as valerian and lavender; larvae feed primarily on bedstraws and madder.
- Range
- Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, East Asia
- Size
- Wingspan 40–45 mm, body length 20–25 mm
- Lifespan
- 3–4 months
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Widespread insecticide application and removal of native larval host plants.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. This insect has no sting or venom and does not bite. It can be observed safely at close range while visiting garden flowers.
The hummingbird hawk-moth ( Macroglossum stellatarum ) is a species of moth.
Photo: Céline, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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