The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera) called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as “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 agile and sustained flying ability, similar enough to that of hummingbirds as to be reliably mistaken for them. Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid flight. The family was named by French zoologist Pierre André Latreille in 1802.
Pseudoclanis postica is a moth of the family Sphingidae first described by Francis Walker in 1856. It is known from South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Robert Herbert Carcasson was an English entomologist who specialised in butterflies, but also authored two field guides to tropical fishes. He joined the Coryndon Museum, Nairobi, as senior entomologist in 1956. He then became its director, under the museum's new name of the Natural History Museum from 1961 to 1968. During this time he was awarded a PhD for his studies on African hawkmoths. From 1969 to 1971 he was Chief Curator of the Centennial Museum, Vancouver, Canada. In 1972 he travelled in Polynesia, Melanesia, Australia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Seychelles and East Africa for production of two field guides to coral reef fish of the Indo-Pacific region. From 1973 to 1979 he was Curator of Entomology at the Museum of British Columbia. He died of cancer. Somewhat a polymath, he was fluent in a number of languages, and produced the illustrations to a number of his works, culminating in hundreds of colour and line drawings of fishes for his reef fish field guides.
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.
Acanthosphinx is a monotypic moth genus in the family Sphingidae erected by Per Olof Christopher Aurivillius in 1891. Its only species, Acanthosphinx guessfeldti, the widow sphinx, was first described by Hermann Dewitz in 1879. It is known from forests from Sierra Leone to the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.
Avinoffia is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae containing only one species, Avinoffia hollandi. It is known from Cameroon, Gabon, Congo and Liberia.
Neoclanis is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae, containing one species, Neoclanis basalis, which is known from dry bush and woodland from Zimbabwe and Angola to Zambia, Tanzania and eastern Kenya.
Oligographa is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae, containing one species Oligographa juniperi, which is known from South Africa and Mozambique. The species is commonly known as the juniper hawk moth.
Polyptychopsis is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae. It contains only one species, Polyptychopsis marshalli, which is known from Brachystegia woodland in large parts of Africa.
Pseudenyo is a genus of moths in the family Sphingidae, consisting of one species, Pseudenyo benitensis, which is found from Nigeria to Gabon.
Andriasa contraria is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from tropical Africa, including Kenya, Cameroon and South Africa. It is a very variable species and is common in all habitats except deserts and high mountains.
Platysphinx stigmatica is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from forests from Nigeria to the Congo, Angola and western Uganda.
Basiothia medea, the small verdant hawk, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is common in open habitats throughout the Ethiopian Region, including Madagascar. It is however probably absent from the equatorial forest belt, except as a vagrant. The species is an active migrant.
Polyptychoides grayii, or Gray's polyptychus, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from eastern Africa, south to South Africa.
Temnora funebris is a moth of the family Sphingidae first described by William Jacob Holland in 1893. It is known from the forests of western Africa to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Temnora radiata is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found from West Africa to Angola.
Nephele comma is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is very common throughout the Ethiopian Region, including Madagascar.
Nephele peneus is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from forests and woodland from Senegal to East Africa, Angola and Delagoa Bay.
Nephele accentifera, the accented hawk, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Palisot de Beauvois in 1821. It is common in most habitats throughout the Ethiopian Region, excluding Madagascar and the Cape Peninsula.
Theretra capensis is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is known from woodland and open habitats from the Cape to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique and East Africa.
