Hawkmoth tongues

[George Hogg]

Do moths have the same externally coiled tongue as seen in butterflies?
I ask having watched a Hummingbird Hawkmoth feeding,continually lengthening and shortening it's tongue.
This had the appearance of a sword swallowing trick !
As the tongue is longer than the moth's body,it has to fold or coil somewhere,either internally or externally,but how?...George

[faz]

hi gh welome to WAB i think you have answerd your own question yes may be different in other but as a rule yes




but ill wait for flutterbye experts (spelt right )

[Harry Eales]

Originally Posted by George Hogg

Do moths have the same externally coiled tongue as seen in butterflies?
I ask having watched a Hummingbird Hawkmoth feeding,continually lengthening and shortening it's tongue.
This had the appearance of a sword swallowing trick !
As the tongue is longer than the moth's body,it has to fold or coil somewhere,either internally or externally,but how?...George

George,
The moths and butterflies proboscis is coiled up like a watch spring between and beneath the palps (the two small forward projecting organs between and beneath the eyes.

Not all moths including some of the British Hawkmoths have a proboscis in a species like the Poplar Hawk it has degenerated to a small useless stump. The adult has a considereble amount of body fat that is it's sole source of energy, when that is burnt off the insect dies.

The longest proboscis in insects to be found in Britain belongs to the Convolvulous Hawkmoth which is nearly twice the overall length of the moth. This enables adults to feed on the nectar of very long trumpet shaped flowers that other moths cannot reach.

Harry

[George Hogg]

Thanks for that Harry,Suspected it would be the same as butterflies.
Your point about Poplar Hawkmoth not being able to feed as an adult is very interesting and something I did not know....George