Macroglossum trochilus
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Macroglossum trochilus, the African hummingbird hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1823. It is very common in most habitats throughout southern and eastern Africa and in the Comoro Islands.
Adults are frequently seen at flowers in full sunshine. The length of the forewings is 15–18 mm. The tail of the pupa moves when the pupa is disturbed or possibly in harm's way. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Hummingbird Hawkmoth sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 113 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 43rd most-seen of the 311 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an African Hummingbird Hawkmoth in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in August, the lowest month. That is one of Cape Town's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 140 mm in June.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Hummingbird Hawkmoth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate African Hummingbird Hawkmoth sightings, Cape Town has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Pretoria (South Africa, about 10%) and Johannesburg (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the African Hummingbird Hawkmoth that you can see in Cape Town (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Common Striped Hawkmoth (about 10%), Death's Head Hawkmoth (about 10%) and Fulvous Hawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Hummingbird Hawkmoth is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Town (113 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
