Abstract
Hawkmoths (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) comprise around 1500 species, most of which forage on nectar from flowers in their adult stage, usually while hovering in front of the flower. The majority of species have a nocturnal lifestyle and are important nocturnal pollinators, but some species have turned to a diurnal lifestyle. Hawkmoths use visual and olfactory cues including CO2 and humidity to detect and recognise rewarding flowers; they find the nectary in the flowers by means of mechanoreceptors on the proboscis and vision, evaluate it with gustatory receptors on the proboscis, and control their hovering flight position using antennal mechanoreception and vision. Here, we review what is presently known about the sensory organs and sensory-guided behaviour that control feeding behaviour of this fascinating pollinator taxon. We also suggest that more experiments on hawkmoth behaviour in natural settings are needed to fully appreciate their sensory capabilities.
Highlights
Sphingidae are a well-defined family of Lepidoptera, comprising over 1450 species, mostly in the tropical, and the temperate zones (Kawahara et al 2009)
Most famous for its long proboscis is Xanthopan morganii praedicta (Fig.1e), whose existence was predicted by Charles Darwin (1862) based on samples of Angraecum sesquipedale, an orchid in Madagascar with a 200–350 mm-long nectar spur
The family is diverse with respect to migration behaviour. Many species complete their life cycle and lay eggs where they enclosed from the pupae, but others migrate over long distances (Gregg et al 1993; Pittaway 1993)
Summary
Sphingidae are a well-defined family of Lepidoptera, comprising over 1450 species, mostly in the tropical, and the temperate zones (Kawahara et al 2009). Hawkmoth-pollinated flowers often share characteristics such as white (though not ultraviolet-reflective) or yellow colour, a long nectar tube or spur, the lack of a landing zone, abundant nectar and nocturnal anthesis (van der Pijl 1961; Borges et al 2016) They commonly share heavy-sweet odours, dominated by specific compounds. We summarise what is known to date about the senses and sensory-guided strategies used by hawkmoths for finding flowers, reaching the nectar, and maintaining their position in front of the flowers while feeding As they have been studied most thoroughly, we will focus on the nocturnal Deilephila elpenor (Fig. 1b), the crepuscular Manduca sexta, and the diurnal Macroglossum stellatarum (Fig. 1a), but add information on other species where available
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
