''Coequosa triangularis'', the double-headed hawk moth, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...

of the family

Sphingidae 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, ...

Distribution

It is known from the Australian states of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Description

The species was first described by

Edward Donovan Edward Donovan (1768 – 1 February 1837) was an Anglo-Irish writer, natural history illustrator, and amateur zoologist. He did not travel, but collected, described and illustrated many species based on the collections of other naturalists. H ...

in 1805. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan ...

is about 130 mm, making it Australia's largest hawk moth. Adults are yellow and brown with broad wavy markings. Coequosa triangularis MHNT Cut 2010 0 361, Sydney, Australia, male, dorsal.jpg, Male dorsal Coequosa triangularis MHNT Cut 2010 0 361, Sydney, Australia, male ventral.jpg, Male ventral

Biology

The larvae feed on '' Banksia ericifolia'', '' Grevillea robusta'', ''

Hakea dactyloides ''Hakea dactyloides'', commonly known as the finger hakea, is a widely distributed species mainly found in southeastern New South Wales, Australia. An attractive shrub or small tree for the home garden bearing sprays of cream-white flowers. Desc ...

'', '' Macadamia integrifolia'', ''

Persoonia levis ''Persoonia levis'', commonly known as the broad-leaved geebung, is a shrub native to New South Wales and Victoria in eastern Australia. It reaches 5 m (16 ft) in height and has dark grey papery bark and bright green asymmetrical sickl ...

'' and ''

Stenocarpus sinuatus ''Stenocarpus sinuatus'', known as the firewheel tree, is an Australian rainforest tree in the family Proteaceae. The range of natural distribution is in various rainforest types from the Nambucca River (30° S) in New South Wales to the A ...

''. The head is an orange conical structure, but on its tail are two large raised black knobs. These look like a pair of large eyes, so that an observer or predator finds it difficult to determine which end is the head. The body is green or yellow, often with yellow diagonal stripes and sometimes with purplish lateral markings. It is covered in soft short pale spines. Full-grown larvae are about 100 mm long.

References

Smerinthini Moths described in 1805 {{Smerinthini-stub