Hawk moth in Uttarakhand

From the archive record

Hawk moth in the Himalaya. The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera), commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths, and hornworms; it 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 rapid, sustained flying ability. Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid flight. Antennae are generally not very feathery, even in the males. They lack tympanal organs, but members of the tribe Choerocampini have hearing organs on their heads. They have a frenulum and retinaculum to join hind wings and fore wings. The thorax, abdomen, and wings are densely covered in scales.Some sphingids have a rudimental proboscis, but most have a very