Lime Hawkmoth
Mimas tiliae
Because adult Lime Hawkmoths completely lack working mouthparts, they cannot eat and must find a mate before their larval energy reserves run out.
- Scientific name
- Mimas tiliae
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Sphingidae › Mimas
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous woodlands, suburban gardens, and urban parks containing host trees.
- Diet
- Adults do not feed; caterpillars eat leaves of lime (linden), birch, elm, and alder.
- Range
- Europe, Northern Asia, Asia Minor
- Size
- Wingspan of 55 to 70 mm.
- Lifespan
- Adults live 3 to 5 weeks; full life cycle is 1 year.
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Light pollution, habitat fragmentation, and pesticide use in urban and suburban green spaces.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless. This moth has no stinger and lacks mouthparts entirely, so it cannot bite. It is safe to observe from any distance. If you must handle it, let it crawl onto your hand; avoid touching its wings to prevent rubbing off the delicate scales needed for flight.
Mimas tiliae , the lime hawk-moth , is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East, and has also been identified in eastern Canada.
Photo: Joan C. Hinojosa, CC0, via iNaturalist
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