About Agrius convolvuli Linnaeus, 1758
This species, Agrius convolvuli Linnaeus, 1758, is a hawkmoth with a wingspan ranging from 80–105 millimetres, or 3.1–4.1 inches. Its basic coloration consists of grayish tones. The abdomen has a broad gray dorsal stripe, with pink and black bands edged in white along the sides. The hindwings are light gray, marked with darker broad crosslines. This moth is most active around sunset and during twilight, when it can be observed hovering over flowers in gardens. It is strongly attracted to light, which means it is often killed by cars on highways. The caterpillars of this moth feed on the leaves of Convolvulus, which is the origin of its specific Latin name "convolvuli". Other recorded food plants for caterpillars cover a wide range of species from the plant families Araceae, Convolvulaceae, Leguminosae and Malvaceae. It can act as a pest of cultivated Ipomoea batatas, also called sweet potato or kūmara, in New Zealand and the Pacific. Adult moths feed while in flight. They have a very long proboscis that is longer than their entire body, which allows them to feed from long trumpet-shaped flowers such as Nicotiana sylvestris. Agrius convolvuli caterpillars can come in a number of different color forms. In addition to the brown form pictured, bright green and black color forms have also been observed.
