hawk moth
noun
variants
or hawkmoth
: any of a family (Sphingidae) of large, stout-bodied, swift-flying moths that are sometimes active during the day and have long, narrow, more or less pointed forewings, small hind wings, and a very long proboscis which at rest is kept coiled and are typically capable of hovering while feeding on the nectar of flowers
Note: Many hawk moths lack scales on their wings and are usually called clearwings. Because of a hornlike extension on their hind end, larvae of the hawk moth are often referred to as hornworms and include pests destructive to crops and ornamental plants.
called also sphinx moth
Examples of hawk moth in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New research studied static charge on 11 butterflies and moths, including the hawk moth (left) and peacock butterfly (right).
—
Max G. Levy, WIRED, 27 Oct. 2024
The fragrance’s weakening translated directly into two different hawk moth species visiting the artificial primrose less and less.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024
The hawk moth, with its ultra-long proboscis, will stop by for a nectar snack.
—Paris Wolfe, cleveland, 27 Jan. 2023
Various insects, including the hawk moth, can jam bat sonar systems by overwhelming them with sound.
—Meredith Carpenter, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2014
The radar beams used to detect insects can be 60 to 100 feet across, big enough to capture lots of individual organisms flying past, whereas lidar beams span only a few inches—about the size of a single hawk moth.
—Daniel Lingenhöhl, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2022
Despite contemporaries’ scoffing, Darwin was proved right when the orchid’s pollinator, the hawk moth, was discovered decades later in Madagascar, the orchid’s native habitat.
—Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2022
In order to create a sort of moth-drone cyborg, mechanical engineer Melanie Anderson of the University of Washington cold-anesthetized a hawk moth in a freezer before removing its antennae.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 4 Jan. 2021
It’s all thanks to the sacrifice of the hawk moth Manduca sexta, which is an extremely sensitive smeller, like other moths.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 4 Jan. 2021
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Max G. Levy, WIRED, 27 Oct. 2024
The fragrance’s weakening translated directly into two different hawk moth species visiting the artificial primrose less and less.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024
The hawk moth, with its ultra-long proboscis, will stop by for a nectar snack.
—Paris Wolfe, cleveland, 27 Jan. 2023
Various insects, including the hawk moth, can jam bat sonar systems by overwhelming them with sound.
—Meredith Carpenter, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2014
The radar beams used to detect insects can be 60 to 100 feet across, big enough to capture lots of individual organisms flying past, whereas lidar beams span only a few inches—about the size of a single hawk moth.
—Daniel Lingenhöhl, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2022
Despite contemporaries’ scoffing, Darwin was proved right when the orchid’s pollinator, the hawk moth, was discovered decades later in Madagascar, the orchid’s native habitat.
—Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2022
In order to create a sort of moth-drone cyborg, mechanical engineer Melanie Anderson of the University of Washington cold-anesthetized a hawk moth in a freezer before removing its antennae.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 4 Jan. 2021
It’s all thanks to the sacrifice of the hawk moth Manduca sexta, which is an extremely sensitive smeller, like other moths.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 4 Jan. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near hawk moth
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“Hawk moth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hawk%20moth. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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