Скачать или смотреть Blind Eyed Sphinx Moths Mating

Sphinx or Hawk Moths are the largest Backyard moths one is likely to encounter. These adults only live for about a week or so and never eat so they have to "make hay while the sun shines" so to speak when it comes to mating. They are huge and gorgeous moths and their inner wings contain large fake eyes used to scare away predators - these wings are hidden while in the mating position. As far as mating goes it is about as exciting as watching paint dry as 10 minutes of "action" is sped up and compressed into a minute.
The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera), commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths, and hornworms; it includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, but species are found in every region. They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid, sustained flying ability. Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid flight.

Some hawk moths, such as the hummingbird hawk-moth or the white-lined sphinx, hover in midair while they feed on nectar from flowers, so are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds. This hovering capability is only known to have evolved four times in nectar feeders: in hummingbirds, certain bats, hoverflies, and these sphingids[3] (an example of convergent evolution). Sphingids have been much studied for their flying ability, especially their ability to move rapidly from side to side while hovering, called 'swing-hovering' or 'side-slipping'. This is thought to have evolved to deal with ambush predators that lie in wait in flowers.

Sphingids are some of the faster flying insects; some are capable of flying at over 5.3 m/s (12 miles per hour). They have wingspans from 4 to over 10 cm.

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