Definition of hawkmoth in English:
hawkmoth
nounˈhɔːkmɒθ
A large swift-flying moth with a stout body and narrow forewings, typically feeding on nectar while hovering.
天蛾。〈北美〉同SPHINXFamily Sphingidae: several genera and many species
- Most hawkmoths feed while hovering in front of flowers and use visual cues to control hovering flight.
- Colour vision in humans and honeybees is restricted to brighter light intensities than those accessible to nocturnal hawkmoths.
- Under limited light, similar to that of late dusk, Kelber and her colleagues trained sixteen hawkmoths to find the sugar solution placed in the centers of artificial flowers.
- Hawkmoths searching for alluring odors respond to leaf fragrances as well as to those of flowers.
- Even in dim starlight, however, nocturnal hawkmoths use chromatic cues rather than achromatic cues to recognize rewarding flowers.