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Trait matching between the Madagascan orchid Angraecum sesquipedale, with a nectar spur of 33 cm, and a hawkmoth with a tongue almost as long has fascinated biologists since Darwin, who saw only flowers but correctly predicted the moth pollinator. This moth, Xanthopan morgani praedicta, was described from museum specimens in 1903 and documented as the pollinator in photographs and film in 1992 and 2004. However, Madagascar harbours c. 30 species of long-spurred orchids and seven species of long-tongued hawkmoths, and mutualisms between moths and 'Angraecum and other deep tubular flowers' (Darwin, 1862: p. 202) probably involve a network of interacting species. We infer the evolutionary time over which Madagascan sphingids and Angraecum have interacted, based on an orchid phylogeny that includes 62 of 144 Angraecum species on Madagascar and a moth phylogeny with all nine Madagascan Sphinginae. Clock models using either rate- or fossil-based calibrations imply that the Madagascan subspecies X. morgani praedicta and the African morgani diverged 7.4 +/- 2.8 Mya, which overlaps the divergence of An. sesquipedale from its sister, Angraecum sororium, namely 7.5 +/- 5.2 Mya;since both have extremely long spurs, long spurs probably existed before that. The phylogenies moreover show that several long-tongued moths and long-spurred orchids probably coevolved on Madagascar since the mid-Miocene, although field data on the moths' levels of polyphagy and pollen transport are lacking.

An attempt of host plants inventory for the afrotropical hawkmoth species Coelonia fulvinotata (Butler, 1875) (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae). Since several years, predominantly in diverse internet sources concerning the African and Madagascan region, reports are increasing, in which, by means of photographs, caterpillars of the hawkmoth species Coelonia fulvinotata (Butler, 1875) can be recognized, in spite of being frequently confused with those of the Death-head-hawkmoth, Acherontia atropos (Linnaeus, 1758), which show a noticeable similarity and can be often found on the same plants. The contribution deals with a summary of plants on which the caterpillars of this species have been found so far, by considering known and recent information, trying to add some conclusions about their way of life, which the documented findings can eventually reveal., Depuis quelques années, surtout sur divers sites internet concernant la région africaine et malgache, les rapports se multiplient, qui nous font reconnaître, à l’aide des photos, les chenilles de l’espèce de Sphinx Coelonia fulvinotata (Butler, 1875), fréquemment confondues avec celles de Sphinx tête de mort, Acherontia atropos (Linné, 1758), qui leur ressemblent considérablement et qu''on peut souvent trouver sur les mêmes plantes. En considérant les informations connues et nouvelles, un inventaire des plantes sur lesquelles les chenilles de cette espèce ont été signalées jusqu''à présent est proposé, essayant d''ajouter quelques conclusions sur leur mode de vie, que ces informations peuvent éventuellement nous révéler., Dvořák Boštjan. Une tentative d’inventaire des plantes-hôtes pour le Sphinx afro-tropical Coelonia fulvinotata (Butler, 1875) (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae). In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 122 (3),2017. pp. 305-310.

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The adipokinetic hormones (AKHs) from the corpora cardiaca (CC) of representative species from all three subfamilies of the Sphingidae (hawkmoths) were investigated using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) and liquid chromatography electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-ESI MS), including a re-examination of the AKH complement of the tobacco hawkmoth, Manduca sexta. In addition to larvae and adults of M. sexta (subfamily: Sphinginae), adults from the following subfamilies were examined: Macroglossinae (large elephant hawkmoth, Deilephila elpenor), Smerinthinae (poplar hawkmoth, Laothoe populi and eyed hawkmoth, Smerinthus ocellata), and Sphinginae (death's head hawkmoth, Acherontia atropos). All moths are shown to have the nonapeptide Manse-AKH (pELTFTSSWGamide) [corrected] in their CC, together with a second AKH, which, on the basis of mass ions ([M+Na](+), [M+K](+)) and partial sequence analysis is identical in all species examined. The structure of this AKH was extracted from the CC [corrected] of adult M. sexta and shown, by ESI-collision-induced dissociation (CID) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), to be a novel decapeptide AKH with a sequence of pELTFSSWGQamide. [corrected]. The new peptide has been code named Manse-AKH-II. Sequence confirmation was obtained from identical MS studies with synthetic Manse-AKH-II and with the native peptide. Manse-AKH-II has significant lipid-mobilizing activity when injected at low dose (5pmol) into newly emerged adult M. sexta. The potential implications of a second AKH, in M. sexta in particular, are discussed in relation to putative receptor(s).

Revision of the genus Praedora Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae). Following more detailed study of the genitalia, the genus Praedora is increased to five species, P. tropicalis is distinct from P. marshalli and a new species is described., Après une étude approfondie des genitalia, le genre Praedora comporte maintenant cinq espèces, P. tropicalis étant distingué de P. marshalli et une nouvelle espèce étant décrite., Pierre Jacques, Schmit Pierre. Révision du genre Praedora Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae). In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 113 (2), juin 2008. pp. 251-255.

External genitalial morphology of seven species belonging to the subfamily Sphinginae (Sphingidae) i.e., Agrius convolvuli (Linnaeus), Psilogramma menophron menophron (Cramer), Psilogramma incereta Walker, Acherontia styx styx (Westwood), Leucophlebia emittens Walker, Marumba dyras dyras (Walker) and Polyptychus trilineatus trilineatus Moore were studied. Besides this, keys to the subfamilies, tribes, genera and species studied are given.

Adult death's head hawkmoths (Acherontia species) have a unique feeding biology as cleptoparasites of honeybees, stealing honey from the combs, rather than imbibing nectar from flowers. The moths have a range of features, both morphological and behavioural, that enable them to successfully enter, feed and escape from the colonies. These adaptations may vary among the three Acherontia species and allow them each to target different species of honeybee. A cladistic analysis is presented of the hawkmoths of tribe Acherontiini. The study aims to resolve the relationships of the genera and species of Acherontiini, with a particular focus on the three species of Acherontia. The dataset comprises sixty-five characters derived from adult, larval and pupal morphology, and larva host-plant biology. These data are analysed using equal weighting and implied weighting. Acherontiini and each constituent genus are recovered as monophyletic. However, within Coelonia, there is ambiguity in that the sister-species relationships C. brevis+C. fulvinotata and C. fulvinotata + C. solani are equally parsimonious under both weighting schemes. Furthermore, under equal weighting Agrius is placed equally parsimoniously as the sister group of either Acherontia + Coelonia or Callosphingia. Under implied weighting, however, only the latter relationship is most parsimonious (fit). Within Acherontia, A. atropos and A. styx are always recovered as sister species to the exclusion of A. lachesis. The results of the phylogenetic analysis provide an objective basis for future studies of the unique cleptoparasitic association of these moths.

Background: The 1400 species of hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) comprise one of most conspicuous and wellstudied groups of insects, and provide model systems for diverse biological disciplines. However, a robust phylogenetic framework for the family is currently lacking. Morphology is unable to confidently determine relationships among most groups. As a major step toward understanding relationships of this model group, we have undertaken the first large-scale molecular phylogenetic analysis of hawkmoths representing all subfamilies, tribes and subtribes. Methodology/Principal Findings: The data set consisted of 131 sphingid species and 6793 bp of sequence from five protein-coding nuclear genes. Maximum likelihood and parsimony analyses provided strong support for more than twothirds of all nodes, including strong signal for or against nearly all of the fifteen current subfamily, tribal and sub-tribal groupings. Monophyly was strongly supported for some of these, including Macroglossinae, Sphinginae, Acherontiini, Ambulycini, Philampelini, Choerocampina, and Hemarina. Other groupings proved para- or polyphyletic, and will need significant redefinition; these include Smerinthinae, Smerinthini, Sphingini, Sphingulini, Dilophonotini, Dilophonotina, Macroglossini, and Macroglossina. The basal divergence, strongly supported, is between Macroglossinae and Smerinthinae+Sphinginae. All genes contribute significantly to the signal from the combined data set, and there is little conflict between genes. Ancestral state reconstruction reveals multiple separate origins of New World and Old World radiations. Conclusions/Significance: Our study provides the first comprehensive phylogeny of one of the most conspicuous and wellstudied insects. The molecular phylogeny challenges current concepts of Sphingidae based on morphology, and provides a foundation for a new classification. While there are multiple independent origins of New World and Old World radiations, we conclude that broad-scale geographic distribution in hawkmoths is more phylogenetically conserved than previously postulated.

The light-attracted hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) of the Estação Biológica de Boracéia, municipality of Salesópolis, state of São Paulo, Brazil were sampled during a period of 64 years (1940-2004). A total of 2,064 individuals belonging to 3 subfamilies, 6 tribes, 23 genera and 75 species were identified. Macroglossinae was the most abundant and richest subfamily in the study area, being followed by Sphinginae and Smerinthinae. About 66 % of the sampled individuals were assorted to the macroglossine tribes Dilophonotini and Macroglossini. Dilophonotini (Macroglossinae) was the richest tribe with 26 species, followed by Sphingini (Sphinginae) with 18 species, Macroglossini (Macroglossinae) with 16 species, Ambulycini (Smerinthinae) and Philampelini (Macroglossinae) with seven species each one, and Acherontiini (Sphinginae) with only one species. Manduca Hübner (Sphinginae) and Xylophanes Hübner (Macroglossinae) were the dominant genera in number of species. Only Xylophanes thyelia thyelia (Linnaeus) and Adhemarius eurysthenes (R. Felder) were recorded year round.

The death's head hawk moth, Acherontia styx Westwood from the subfamily Sphinginae is redescribed, with genitalic characters along with various parts such as labial palp, antenna, legs and wing venation. The total life cycle and morphometrics of life stages are also provided.

A list of species and a photographic catalog of moths of the family Sphingidae reported for Colombia is presented. Following examination of 1463 specimens deposited in major entomological collections of Colombia, and a review of the literature, 188 species are reported for the country, of which 19 species and Phryxus genus are reported for the first time for Colombia. The genus Xylophanes has the most species recorded and also the most geographical records. The Andean region has the highest number of records. A diagnosis of each subfamily and genus, comments on the biology of many of the reported species and dichotomous keys are also presented.