Macroglossum trochilus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
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 Pretoria on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 175th most-seen of the 274 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Hummingbird Hawkmoth in Pretoria on a given day, against under 5% in August to February, the lowest months. Those are among Pretoria's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against 130 mm in December.
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.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate African Hummingbird Hawkmoth sightings, Pretoria ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cape Town (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the African Hummingbird Hawkmoth that you can see in Pretoria (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Common Striped Hawkmoth (about 10%), Death's Head Hawkmoth (about 10%) and Comma Nephele (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 Pretoria (7 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.
