Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sphingidae
SubFamily: Sphinginae
Genus: Xanthopan
Species: Morganii
Plants and insects have special relationships. Insects drink the nectar from plants and while they are feeding, they collect pollen from the flowers. They then carry this pollen on to the next flower. By transferring pollen, the insects help the plants reproduce, and in return they get a delicious nectar meal. Some insects, like bees, feed on many different types of flowers. Others like Morgan’s Sphinx moth, or Darwin’s moth, rely on a single type of flower. This flower, Darwin’s orchid, is a white orchid that grows in Madagascar. It has an extremely long neck (35 centimeters long) that hides its nectar. For many years it was a mystery how anything could pollinate the flower. In 1862, Charles Darwin predicted that there must be a moth with a giant nose. He was right, but the moth wasn’t found until 1903, after his death.
• The flower and moth are found on the east side of Madagascar.
• Another name for the moth is the hummingbird moth.
• They have a wingspan of 2 to 8 inches.
• They only feed off of Darwin’s orchid.
• It is a large type of hawk moth.
• The moth uses scent to find its special orchids.
• Darwin was not the only scientist to predict the moth’s existence.
• It has a speckled brown pattern.
• The proboscis (an elongated sucking mouthpart that is typically tubular and flexible) rolls up to be stored when the moth is not feeding.
• Even after the moth was discovered in 1903, it was years before it was seen actually pollinating the orchid.
• They are active at night and are very rare.
• The moth’s proboscis is longer than its body.
Moths are common all over the world, but it is when they are isolated on islands that they are truly amazing. Darwin’s hawk moth is just one example. Instead of feeding on many different plants like many insects, it has a special partnership with Darwin’s orchid. They work together to survive.
