![]() Hawk moth caterpillars are easy to distinguish by their tail like horn, which gives them their common name ‘hornworm’. They have a fairly wide range of host plants, and have often been found on the Clerodendrum and Solanum species in Singapore. ![]() ![]() Their larvae are similar and robust, reaching up to 13 cm in length. Two of the three Acherontia species are found in Singapore, the other is Acherontia styx-medusa. The larvae of the greater Death’s Head Hawk Moth, Acherontia lachesis displays the characteristic sphinx-like posture after which the family is named. A number are found only in forest reserves, where their host plants reside, but some are often encountered in parks and gardens, particularly as caterpillars. Hawk, or sphinx, moths belong to the family Sphingidae, of which around 45 species are resident in Singapore. The aerobatic display belongs to the Hummingbird Hawk moth, Macroglossum stellatarum. Uncannily like its namesake, it is the only day-flying member of a charismatic family that contains some of the fastest flying insects in the world. Its caterpillars feed on plants in the family Apocynaceae, such as Pinwheel Jasmins (Tabernaemontana species), Madagascan Periwinkle ( Catheranthus roseus) and Oleander ( Nerium oleander).Īs dusk falls in Singapore, the sharp-eyed may glimpse the blurred dot-dash flight of a remarkable creature. It is also one of the more commonly seen moths in gardens. The Oleander Hawk moth, Daphnis nerii is one of the most beautiful adult Sphingids in Singapore.
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