Sphinx Moth 



A sphinx moth at rest on the bark of a tree in the daylight 

 hours blends so well with its surroundings that it is usually 

 unnoticed by passers-by. Then when twilight approaches, 

 these trim moths dart about at high speeds so fast that 

 their wings produce a hum similar to that of a humming- 

 birdso fast that hawk moths in flight are sometimes mis- 

 taken for hummingbirds. 



You see them just before dusk, hovering over the blos- 

 soms of such flowers as the jimson weed or the primrose. 

 Later in the evening the sphinx moth feeds on the nectar 

 of deep-throated flowers that open at dusk; he accomplishes 

 this by uncoiling a tube-like tongue and thrusting it far into 

 the nectar cup of the flower. When not in use, this long 

 tongue is carried under the moth's chin, rolled up like a 

 tightly wound watch spring. 



Other moths escape our eyes because they too sleep the 

 day away in secluded nooks, and fly about only at night. 

 But when the moon is bright, watch for them: the dusky 

 brown Cecropia moth is particularly beautiful, measuring 

 four inches from wing-tip to wing-tip, and the crescents 

 and bands of black and white on those wings make patterns 

 of silver in the sky. Toward the end of summer, you see the 

 Cecropia caterpillar meandering along on branches. He's 

 harmless, but a fearful sight indeed: bluish-green, armed 

 with rows of shiny projections, some of them bright red and 

 spotted with black. At maturity, this caterpillar may be as 

 long as four inches. 



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