Sphingidae in Ukraine
The family Sphingidae systematically belongs to the superfamily Bombycoidea, order Lepidoptera, class Insecta, type Arthropoda, and kingdom Animalia.
The Latin name of the family “Sphingidae” – i.e. “Sphinxes” was given to this family because the caterpillar characteristically curves its front part of the body, resembling the figure of a sphinx. At the caterpillar phase, most species of Sphingidae have a very characteristic morphological feature – a horn-like growth at the rear end of the body.
The Sphingidae family, in general, includes about 1450 species, which are spread all over the world, except Antarctica. Most of them are found in tropical latitudes. Note that the actual number of species may be higher, as there may be undescribed species in hard-to-reach regions of the planet that are waiting to be discovered.
The vast majority of the species are large or medium-sized butterflies with a very distinctive habitus and coloration, which makes them easy to recognize and distinguish them from representatives of other families of the Lepidoptera. The body of these butterflies is relatively large and streamlined. The thoracic area is particularly well developed, with powerful wing muscles. The front wings are mostly narrow and elongated, and the hind wings are short. Such morphological features allow the Sphingidae to fly quickly and skillfully, while developing a very high flight speed, which can reach 14-15 meters per second or 50-55 kilometers per hour. Adult Sphingidae are among the fastest and most maneuverable fliers in the insect world.
The vast majority of Sphingidae species feed on the nectar of flowers at the imago (adult) stage. At the same time, almost all of them are quite large and heavy, so not every flower can withstand their weight. As a result, in the course of evolution, they have developed a distinctive adaptive feature: they feed on the fly, not by sitting on a flower, but by inserting their usually very long proboscis into the flower. Another characteristic feature of the Sphingidae is associated with this type of feeding – the ability to hover. In this case, the butterfly seems to freeze in midair, and only two “clouds” on the sides of its body reveal the desperate work of its wings. In this way, the Sphingidae resemble small tropical birds, such as hummingbirds. Consequently, people often call them “hummingbird butterflies” or even confuse them with these birds.
Like hummingbirds, Sphingidae have adapted to extract nectar from flowers with very deep corollas. Sometimes, the corolla is also complicated by a special process, the spur, at the bottom of which are nectar cells. To get nectar from this depth, you need a particularly long proboscis, which is another characteristic feature of many Sphingidae. When the butterfly finds a flower and hovers over it, the still-curled proboscis straightens and descends into the flower. The extremely elastic, flexible proboscis of the Sphingidae usually corresponds in length to the depth of nectar in the flowers the butterflies prefer, and it is often much longer than the entire body of the butterfly, sometimes even several times as much. The South American species Amphimoea walkeri has the longest proboscis among Sphingidae and among all butterflies and insects in general – its length reaches 28 centimeters and is four times longer than the rest of the body. A very long proboscis, more than 20 cm long, is also found in the Madagascar Xanthopan praedicta Sphingidae, which is the sole pollinator of the endemic orchid species Angraecum sesquipedale, with the longest spurs reaching about 30 cm.
Some species of Sphingidae that feed on the juice of overripe plants (fruits and berries), and the juice flowing from wounded tree trunks, as well as honey, have a shortened and thickened proboscis adapted to pierce the walls of fruits and honeycombs. In Ukraine, this is particularly true of the dead-headed moth (Acherontia atropos), whose butterflies are often found in beehives at apiaries. However, due to their very low numbers, these butterflies never harm either bees or beekeepers. At the same time, we should note that there are a number of species among the moths that have a reduced proboscis and do not feed at all at the butterfly stage, but live off of nutrients accumulated at the caterpillar phase. In Ukraine, for example, all members of the subfamily Smerinthinae are such adult aphagous species.
At the caterpillar stage, the moths mostly feed on leaves, less often on flowers and fruits of various plants. Many species are trophically highly specialized, able to feed on only one or a few related plants. They pupate in an earthen “cradle” in the soil, or in a liquid spider web cocoon, or even freely among plant debris on the soil surface.
The vast majority of moth species are active at dusk and at night. However, there are also some species that are exclusively active during the day and at night. In Ukraine, there are 4 species of Sphingidae that are active only during the day: Hemaris fuciformis, Hemaris croatica, Hemaris tityus and Macroglossum stellatarum. However, sometimes during the day, when feeding over flowers, we can observe some typically nocturnal Sphingidae, primarily the Agrius convolvuli, during migration in late summer and early fall. Another 2 species of Sphingidae – Proserpinus proserpina and Sphingonaepiopsis gorgoniades – are active at night and fly for a very short period of time, in the evening and morning twilight.
It is noteworthy that a number of species active during the day, in particular from the Hemarini tribe, are characterized by mimicry – they look very similar to bumblebees.In Ukraine, 27 species of pansies have been reliably registered in recent years (посилання на сторінку з таксономічним списком).
However, only 20 of them are resident and permanent inhabitants here. Conversely, 4 species are found only during migrations or can only create temporary colonies and do not have stable populations in Ukraine. In particular, 3 species of Sphingidae-Agrius convolvuli, Acherontia atropos and Hyles livornica – are known to migrate regularly, annually, while the Daphnis nerii is a sporadic migrant that comes to Ukraine (usually only to Crimea) only in some years. In addition, 3 species of Sphingidae: Hyles zygophylli, Hyles vespertilio, and Hippotion celerio are known only from single ancient finds, which apparently refer to accidentally introduced or migratory individuals.
Most species of Sphingidae fly very fast in the dark, so it is not easy to see them. We may never meet these beautiful butterflies in our lifetime, and if we do, we may not realize what we are looking at, or we may even mistake it for a hummingbird. However, hummingbirds are found exclusively in the tropical latitudes of South and Central America, and they cannot live in our conditions. Therefore, if you suddenly come across a “hummingbird” in Ukraine, you can be sure that it is a Sphingidae. But you still have to determine which one. Our website can help you with this. Here you can try to identify the Sphingidae you have seen by yourself, and consult with experts.
If you have a camera, please try to take a picture of the Sphingidae. With the help of a photo, we will be able to determine its species affiliation, and your photo can be very useful for mapping and studying the distribution of Sphingidae in Ukraine. Finally, you may well become the discoverer of a new species of Sphingidae in Ukraine.
Send your photos with the place and date where the photo was taken and the name of its author. We will add the most interesting images to the page about the corresponding species of Sphingidae, with the obligatory indication of the photo author. Over time, we will create a map that will be useful for both scientists and amateurs.
We will be happy to introduce you to the very interesting and beautiful world of Ukrainian Sphingidae!
Our e-mail: sphingidae.ua@gmail.com
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