Species that evolve together stay together<\/strong><\/p>\n Hawk moths don\u2019t pollinate food crops, making them less popular<\/a> than insects that help the farming industry. But, the moths are vital<\/a> for the survival of many native plants. Without hawk moths, these plants will disappear, permanently changing diverse and unique habitats.<\/p>\n Some plants and hawkmoths evolved to prefer each other. According to Dr. Robert Robbins<\/a>, the Smithsonian\u2019s curator of Lepidoptera, plants with long flowers favor hawk moths with similarly long tongue-like proboscises.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a win-win relationship. These moth species win because moths with shorter proboscises can\u2019t access the flowers\u2019 nectar, said Robbins. Meanwhile, the plant wins because its pollinators are likely to visit the same kinds of plants when they make their next feeding stops. The relationship increases the plant\u2019s chances of successful pollination.<\/p>\n Many plants that hawk moths feed on are endangered. They suffer from deforestation and tourism. For example, the red-flowering Puerto Rican higo chumbo cactus lives on three small islands off the coast of Puerto Rico. To survive, it needs pollinators that can fly across the ocean. Because they\u2019re sturdy and large, hawk moths can fly long distances and across island chains, making them perfect for the higo chumbo cactus. The moths also pollinate the spiky Egger\u2019s century plant, an imperiled species of agave that survives in small, scattered populations<\/a> on St. Croix<\/a> of the Virgin Islands.<\/p>\n \u201cThe populations of these plants are getting more fragmented,\u201d said Dr. Gordon Smith, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside. \u201cIf the moths continue to focus on certain plants, they can actually maintain connections between these very fragmented populations.\u201d Smith plans to use the museum\u2019s collection for his research on the moth\u2019s flight paths.<\/p>\n A pollen-nation in the museum<\/strong><\/p>\n By studying pollen stored on hawk moths\u2019 proboscises, scientists can create a snapshot of where each moth has been. They can potentially use this pollen data to chart how native, endangered plant populations have decreased overtime.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can take these hawk moth specimens from the 1900s and see what plants they were visiting in their communities when they were alive and around,\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n The Smithsonian\u2019s National Museum of Natural History has the second largest hawk moth collection in the world. The collection contains moths from as far back as 1895, allowing entomologists and botanists to study the relationship between insect and plant in different decades. In fact, the museum has several specimens out currently on loans for scientific research.<\/p>\n \u201cEach individual insect is a data point. When people study the specimens, they unlock this dark data,\u201d said Jessica Bird<\/a>, the collections information manager for the Entomology department at the museum. \u201cWhen you collect any type of specimen, especially entomology specimens, you can track diversity and population dynamics over time.\u201d<\/p>\n Species under pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n Like all pollinators, hawk moths are threatened<\/a> by climate change, invasive species and pesticides. Once a species is extinct, its co-dependent plants will likely disappear too. For example, entomologists suspect the highly elusive Fabulous Green Sphinx Moth of Kaua’i, Hawaii is gone, leaving the critically endangered vulcan palm with no natural pollinators. Today, the beautiful cliff-crawling plant has all but disappeared from the Hawaiian wild. It lives on as an ornamental house plant<\/a>, but will likely never be spotted by nature enthusiasts again.<\/p>\n Although hawk moths have been harmed by human interference, they are still more resilient than fragile crop-pollinating insects like European honeybees. Their ability to fly long and hard, as well as their lengthy proboscises, makes them crucial for many at-risk plants\u2019 survival.<\/p>\n \u201cHawk moths tend to move pollen farther than bees or birds. That helps plant populations remain viable in the face of habitat degradation,\u201d said Dr. Robert Raguso, a biologist at Cornell University and one of Smith\u2019s collaborators.<\/p>\n The pollinators are a safeguard for many habitats. Without hawk moths to visit native, endangered plants, we will no longer see rare and beautiful flowers in the wild. Even worse, ecosystem diversity could decline.<\/p>\n Pollinator Week ends in a few days, but the humble hawk moths deserve our appreciation year-round. It\u2019s time they get their share of the limelight.<\/p>\n Related stories:<\/em> Abigail Eisenstadt is a Communications Assistant at the Smithsonian\u2019s National Museum of Natural History. She brings science to the public via the museum’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs, where she tracks media coverage, coordinates filming activities, and writes for the museum\u2019s blog, Smithsonian Voices. Abigail received her master’s in science journalism from Boston University. In her free time, she is either outdoors or in the kitchen.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com\/w5BzU4LZMqoLbEus8g8FuuAk5og=\/fit-in\/1072x0\/https:\/\/public-media.si-cdn.com\/cms_page_media\/2020\/6\/21\/1592793661\/A%20green%20plant%20on%20a%20rocky%20coast.jpg\")
![\"Brown](\"https:\/\/thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com\/fRMpJ4zf0RWcstkh27yrVzOWTOo=\/fit-in\/1072x0\/https:\/\/public-media.si-cdn.com\/cms_page_media\/2020\/6\/21\/1592793784\/Brown%20moth%20on%20a%20white%20background..jpg\")
\nHow to Press Plants from Your Backyard<\/a>
\nNotorious Asian Giant Hornet Finds Home in Smithsonian<\/a>
\nFive Species to Wrap Up Invasive Species Week<\/a>
\nDigitization Allows Public Access to Smithsonian\u2019s Hidden Collections<\/a>
\nTogether, We Can Save the Mangroves<\/a><\/p>\n