Fauna
Insect

Pellucid Hawkmoth

Cephonodes hylas

Also known as Coffee Bee Hawkmoth, Coffee Clearwing, Bee Hawk Moth

Pellucid hawkmoths are day-flying marvels renowned for their transparent wings and remarkable resemblance to bumblebees. Adults emerge from their pupae with a delicate coating of scales that sheds rapidly during their very first flight, leaving behind clear membranes framed by dark borders. Hovering with extreme precision, they use a long proboscis to drink nectar from blossoms while darting rapidly between garden shrubs and open forest edges.

DiurnalPollinatorFast-flying
Pellucid Hawkmoth reference1 / 7
(c) vaazhaikumar, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyFlower nectar, Gardenia leaves, Coffee leaves
Predators
  • Insectivorous birds
  • Praying mantises
  • Orb-weaver spiders
ThreatsIndiscriminate pesticide use in agricultural areas and loss of flowering host plants
HabitatsTropical and subtropical gardens, orchards, secondary forests, and woodland clearings
Life spanSeveral weeks as adult; total lifecycle roughly 1 to 2 months
Classification
  1. OrderLepidoptera
  2. FamilySphingidae
  3. GenusCephonodes
  4. SpeciesCephonodes hylas
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Garden Observation: Watch flowering shrubs like lantana, ixora, and gardenia in bright sunlight.
  • Photography Approach: Use a fast shutter speed to freeze their rapid wing movements as they hover.
  • Caterpillar Hunting: Check the undersides of gardenia leaves for bright green, horned larvae.
Related species
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Found in Collections

Species set

Moonlight Marvels

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