Hawk Moth Pollination

Hawk moths (Sphingidae) are an important group of nocturnal pollinators, particularly in the tropics. While there are several day-flying species, the nocturnal species drive the classic set of floral features associated with moth pollination: pale, intensely fragrant, night blooming flowers with long, narrow tubes or spurs, positioned to provide a clear flight path for a hovering pollinator.
Some examples:
A comet orchid with long nectar spur: Angraecum lecomtei
A Star of Bethlehem: Hippobroma longiflora
A member of the coffee family: Posoqueria latifolia

For more details, see: Johnson SD, Moré M, Amorim FW, Haber WA, Frankie GW, Stanley DA, Cocucci AA, Raguso RA. 2017. The long and the short of it: a global analysis of hawkmoth pollination niches and interaction networks. Functional Ecology 31(1):101-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12753

Posted on May 21, 2022 07:36 PM by m_whitson