I chanced upon this elusive creature perched amongst one of my many costus cuttings. It was fairly well camouflaged and I had to take a second look to make sure it was what I thought it was. I knew it was some sort of moth, I just didn't know what. But when it started to fly, I realised that I was actually looking at a hawk moth. Hawk moths are strong fliers and some, like the Hummingbird Hawk Moth, have a distinct way of flying which is to hover, just like hummingbirds. This particular moth is known as Pergesa acteus which belongs to the family Sphingidae. The larvae host plants consists mainly Alocasia and Caladiums, but the former seems to be a hot favourite amongst various species of larvae.
Sphingids are some of the fastest flying insects, capable of flying at over 50km/h. They generally have a wingspan of about 35 - 150mm. I have ever only seen two hawk moths in the past. Both were Hummingbird Hawk moths; one in my garden while the other was hovering amongst the flowerbeds in Ginza, Tokyo. They usually fly for short periods either around dusk or dawn, with a few species seen feeding during the day.
*All images taken with Canon 7D and Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro lens, Canon 580 EX II Speedlite*
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