Food-insect
Guides
Hyles lineata
white-lined sphinx, hummingbird moth
Hyles lineata is a large, abundant sphinx moth native to North and Central America, recognized for its distinctive hovering flight and striking wing pattern. Adults display a 2–3 inch wingspan with dark brown forewings marked by white longitudinal lines and black hindwings bearing a broad pink median band. The species exhibits unusual flexibility in activity patterns, flying at dusk, dawn, and occasionally during daylight hours to feed on nectar. Caterpillars show extreme color polymorphism, ranging from black with orange spots to lime green with black markings, and possess a characteristic posterior horn. This generalist feeder has been documented on over a dozen plant families and serves as a significant pollinator and occasional agricultural pest.
Orthoptera
grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, katydids, bush crickets, wētā
Orthoptera is a diverse order of insects comprising over 20,000 species worldwide, including grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, katydids, and wētā. The order is defined by enlarged hind legs adapted for jumping, stridulatory sound production, and incomplete metamorphosis. Orthopterans are divided into two monophyletic suborders: Caelifera (grasshoppers and locusts) and Ensifera (crickets and katydids). The group originated approximately 300 million years ago, with the divergence between suborders occurring around 256 million years ago.
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Red Palm Weevil, Asian Palm Weevil, Sago Palm Weevil
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is a large snout beetle and one of the most destructive pests of palm trees worldwide. Native to tropical Asia, it has become invasive across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, causing severe economic damage to coconut, date, and oil palm plantations. Larvae tunnel deep into palm trunks, excavating galleries up to 1 meter long that destroy vascular tissue and typically kill the host plant. The species is frequently confused with R. vulneratus, a closely related species with which it shares common names and overlapping ranges.