#hippotion

Coprosma Hawk Moth (Hippotion scrofa), family Sphingidae, VIC, Australia

Vine hawk-moth/silver-striped hawk-moth hippotion celerio

This moth is one of several species responsible for the pollination of papaya and therefore agriculturally important.

Image credit: Illuvis on Pixabay

✤ Hippotion brennus - Sphingidae

Photos by @gemfyre and Bob Goodale of a hawkmoth investigating me as a place to rest.

As the common name suggests, it shares the same foodplants as Cizara ardeniae, another Sphingid known as the Coprosma Hawk Moth. The caterpillars also feast on Epilobium, Ipomoea and Fuchsia.

Found across most of Australia, New Zealand, and the islands of the South Pacific.

A rather battered Hippotion boerhaviae

Another far-ranging, migratory Hippotion. Known from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, SE Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines, eastern Australia and New Caledonia.

Named after one of the many foodplants it enjoys. Here in Australia, it's known to eat Egyptian Starcluster, Pentas lanceolata, an introduced ornamental, but since its diet elsewhere includes Impatiens, Oldenlandia, False Buttonweed, and more, there's a good chance there are native species it finds palatable as well.

AKA Silver-striped Hawk Moth, Hippotion celerio.

Another species that Woiphin saw in Murchison and asked me to ID. Despite Murchison being famously remote, identifying it wasn't that hard, since Hippotion celerio is found across Africa, much of the warmer parts of Asia, Southern Europe, and Australia.