Best Sphingidae
Updated Daily
The death’s-head hawkmoth is a large European insect belonging to the Sphingidae family. It's notable for the distinctive ‘skull-like’ marking on its wings, a pattern thought to deter predators. These moths are frequently found near beehives where they feed on nectar and pollen. They are primarily o...
The Hummingbird hawk-moth is distributed across Europe and Africa, notable for its ability to hover in mid-air while feeding on nectar from flowers.
The Elephant hawk-moth is a striking insect found across Europe and Asia, uniquely characterized by its brilliant olive green and bright pink coloration.
The Oleander hawk-moth is an Old World species renowned for its intricate green and pink camouflage and its ability to feed on highly toxic oleander plants.
The Tersa sphinx is a moth prevalent in the Americas, notable for its streamlined wings and larvae that possess prominent eyespots, giving them a snake-like appearance to deter predators.
The Eyed hawk-moth is a Palearctic species known for the striking blue and pink eyespots on its hindwings, which it flashes suddenly to startle predators.
The Pink-spotted hawk-moth is a large American moth notable for its distinct pink abdominal bands and its long-distance migratory patterns throughout the Americas.
The Privet hawk-moth is a large, robust insect widespread across Europe, recognized as the largest resident species of hawk-moth found in the United Kingdom.
The small elephant hawk-moth is a European species recognized by its vibrant pink and yellow coloration, and it is named for its larvae's trunk-like snout rather than its small size.
The Pandora sphinx moth is a large, heavy-bodied insect native to eastern North America, distinguished by its deep green and pinkish-brown wing patterns.
The Convolvulus hawk-moth is a large, migratory species found across the Old World, notable for its long proboscis used to feed from deep trumpet-shaped flowers.
The bedstraw hawk-moth is a Holarctic species known for its striking olive and pink wing patterns, whose larvae primarily feed on plants in the bedstraw family across northern regions.
The spurge hawk-moth is a Eurasian species notable for its colorful larvae, and it was introduced to North America in the 1960s as a biological control agent for invasive leafy spurge.
The Lime hawk-moth is a medium-sized insect distributed across Europe and Asia, displaying highly variable green, brown, and pink wing patterns in adulthood.
The White-lined sphinx is a widespread and abundant moth in North America, famous for its massive daytime migrations and hovering flight while feeding.
The Nessus sphinx is a diurnal moth found in the Americas, recognized by the distinct yellow bands across its abdomen and its habit of hovering like a hummingbird to feed on nectar.
The broad-bordered bee hawk-moth is a Eurasian diurnal moth notable for its transparent wings and distinctive red belt, making it a highly convincing mimic of bumblebees in flight.
The striped hawk-moth is a highly adaptable species found across the Americas, recognized by its distinct longitudinal body stripes and its occasional population explosions in deserts.
The rustic sphinx is a large moth found across the Americas, Africa, and Europe, distinguished by its mottled brown wings and its larval reliance on plants in the nightshade family.
The Hummingbird clearwing is a diurnal moth native to North America, easily identified by its fuzzy olive and burgundy body and hovering, hummingbird-like flight.
The narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth is a Eurasian moth distinguished by its clear wings and brown body bands, which allow it to effectively mimic the appearance of a foraging bumblebee.
The Five-spotted hawk-moth is a widespread North American species recognized by its five yellow abdominal spots and its larvae, which are known as tomato hornworms.
The Snowberry clearwing is a North American moth that expertly mimics the appearance and flight patterns of a large bumblebee using its transparent wings.
The Carolina sphinx moth is a prominent North American moth notable for its role as a model organism in neurobiology, with larvae known as tobacco hornworms.
The Poplar hawk-moth is the most abundant hawk-moth in the United Kingdom, easily identified by its unusual resting posture where its hindwings extend forward.
The coffee clearwing is a widely distributed moth in Asia and Australia, notable for its transparent wings and its status as an agricultural pest that defoliates coffee plantations.
The Pine hawk-moth is a notable Palearctic moth species recognized for its bark-like camouflage, whose larvae feed exclusively on pine trees in European forests.
