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The whitelined sphinx (Hyles lineata) is the most common hornworm of Colorado and, by far, the most commonly encountered “hummingbird moth”. Larvae develop on a variety of plants but seldom do they significantly damage those plants considered economically important.
In general, these moths, just like hummingbirds, have extremely strong wings and are able to seep nectar from flowers while hovering over them. Hummingbirds, as many of you may know, can beat their wings more than 80 times per second.
Up to 200 eggs may be laid by one female, each on a separate plant. Newly hatched larvae are clear yellow, and in the second instar assume their green coloration. The larva is green with two grey stripes bordered in cream along the sides and with a horn at the rear end typical of sphingids.
Like the majority of moths and butterflies, the adult hummingbird moths feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, but their larvae need more specific food plants, such as several species of honeysuckle, dogbane, or some members of the rose family such as hawthorn, cherries, and plums.
The larvae are small, cylindrical, and covered in granules that often have small bristles. Most larvae are green, brown, and gray, but there are many color forms. All have a distinctive pale dorsolateral longitudinal stripe from head to horn. The pupa is enclosed in a loosely spun cocoon, and is glossy in most species.
Hyles lineata, also known as the white-lined sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. They are sometimes known as a "hummingbird moth" because of their bird-like size (2-3 inch wingspan) and flight patterns. [2] As caterpillars, they have a wide range of color phenotypes but show consistent adult coloration. [3]
14 wrz 2023 · Learn about hummingbird moths, large moths that hover and feed like hummingbirds. See pictures and facts of five species found in North America and one in Europe.
