Lime Hawk Moth

Mimas tiliae

Mimas tiliae, the lime hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East, and in northern Spain (Europe). The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Sphingidae

The Sphingidae are a family of moths commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths; many of their caterpillars are known as hornworms. The family includes about 1,450 species. It is best represented in the tropics, but species are found in every region. They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their agile and sustained flying ability, similar enough to that of hummingbirds as to be reliably mistaken for them. Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid flight. The family was named by French zoologist Pierre André Latreille in 1802.

Hawk

Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica.

Moth

Moths are a group of winged insects of the order Lepidoptera, the other well-known members of which are butterflies; they are characterized by dark or dull patterned wings. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is paraphyletic with respect to butterflies and neither subordinate taxon is used in modern classifications. Moths make up the vast majority of the order. There are approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal, although there are also crepuscular and diurnal species.

lime

Noun

1. Any inorganic material containing calcium, usually calcium oxide (quicklime) or calcium hydroxide (slaked lime).
2. Any gluey or adhesive substance that traps or captures; sometimes a synonym for birdlime.

Verb

1. To treat with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide (lime).
2. To smear with birdlime.

hawk

Noun

1. A diurnal predatory bird of the family Accipitridae, smaller than an eagle.
2. Any diurnal predatory terrestrial bird of similar size and appearance to the accipitrid hawks, such as a falcon.

Verb

1. To hunt with a hawk.
2. To make an attack while on the wing; to soar and strike like a hawk.

moth

Noun

1. Any flying insect of the order Lepidoptera not in the superfamily Papilionoidea, most species of which are nocturnal and can be distinguished from butterflies by feather-like antennae.
2. Anything that gradually and silently eats, consumes, or wastes any other thing.

Verb

1. To hunt for moths.