# Eurasian Hummingbird Hawkmoth

*Macroglossum stellatarum*

It possesses trichromatic color vision that enables it to learn and distinguish different flower colors even in dim daylight.

- **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.

## About

The hummingbird hawk-moth ( Macroglossum stellatarum ) is a species of moth.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/7453d3c9-a97d-4d69-bc98-38b818c72d39
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/56293
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macroglossum stellatarum
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/241949898/medium.jpeg (Céline, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.