Unsung Pollinators of the U.S.
Conservation begins with you!
Hi, I'm Sphinxy
Welcome to my page! Many people know me as the Blackburn's sphinx moth. I’m the largest native insect in Hawai’i and I have the longest tongue of all moth and butterfly pollinators. This helps me feed on my favorite flower, the Hawaiian morning glory. [1]
Pronouns: she/her, they/them
Long narrow wings that stretch 5 inches across from tip to tip
Thick shaped body with tapered ends
Podcast by Christine Froschl
5 orange spots along each side of my body
Thinking question:
What do you think it would be like to be a moth?
Cool Things About Me! [2]
I live and play at night.
My tongue can be up to 14 inches long.
I'm called a hawk moth.
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I fly fast.
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I fly long distances.
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I'm very aerobatic-
I can even hover in place & fly backwards!
Here is what Western science calls me...
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
Species Name: Manduca blackburni
Today we meet Sphinxy! They share their life with us.
"Manduca blackburni, female, upperside" by Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London is licensed with CC BY 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en