Moro sphinx

The moro sphinx or sphinx hummingbird ( Macroglossum stellatarum ) is an insect pertaining to the Lépidoptère hétéroptère/Hétérocère, of the Sphingidae. It is one of the rare diurnal species of its family. The moro sphinx has a very long horn for butiner the Fleur S, often violets or white, in hovering like the hummingbirds. It butine generally the nectar of the flowers that the others Insecte S cannot reach. He likes sage. Its flight is of a not very common precision and a speed.

Distribution

Its natural habitat is in the northern Hemisphere between Spain and Japan. This Migrating insect , can meet almost everywhere in the hemisphere in summer, but it resides only in the moderate climates hottest (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, North Africa). Indeed he seldom survives the winter with the latitudes more in north (as in the north of the the Alps in Europe, or in the north of the the Caucasus in Russia, etc).

Plant host

The plant host of this insect is generally the Gaillet ( Galium sp.), but the butterfly can also lay on other plants of Rubiaceae, like on Valerianaceae or Caryophyllaceae.

Biotopes

Meadows, bushes and gardens

Biological cycle

The eggs are deposited separately on the buds and the flowers or in their vicinity (May; July/August). The blossoming starts approximately a week after the laying. One can observe the caterpillars mainly in May and in August. It is in a cocoon releases either on the ground or in the ground (personal observation) that the Nymphose is carried out. The stage nymphal lasts approximately 1 month. The Imago S usually fly from April at August but they can be present also in September (2 generations annual).

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