The maile pilau hornworm is an Asian that hovers at flowers like a tiny hummingbird. In the US it lives only in Hawaii, where it was introduced. Its name comes from its caterpillar's food, maile pilau, a foul-smelling vine also called skunkvine that grows wild in the Hawaiian Islands.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Wingspan about 1.7–2.2 in (42–56 mm). The body and forewings are dark brown; the hindwings are yellowish brown with a broad dark border, and flash in flight. The sides of the abdomen have yellow spots.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Gardens
- Parks
- Towns
- Range
- Native to a wide area of Asia, from Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal through Southeast Asia to China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and the southern Russian Far East. In the US it is found only in Hawaii, where it was introduced.
- When to see it
In Hawaii
Active Apr–Aug
Behavior
- Activity
- Flies by day, hovering in front of flowers and sipping nectar through a long tongue. In Hawaii adults are on the wing from April to August.
Life cycle
- Caterpillar food plants
- Caterpillars feed on vines in the genus Paederia, including maile pilau (skunkvine), and have also been recorded on Psychotria rubra, a shrub in the coffee family.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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