Moths That Think They Are Hummingbirds

Moths That Think They Are Hummingbirds

From Creation Moments on Oneplace.com by Ian T. Taylor & Mark W. Cadwallader

June 11, 2026 · 2 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the unique design of the sphinx moth and its similarities to hummingbirds, emphasizing the wisdom of creation.

There seems to be no end to the variety and wisdom of design in the creation. Most interesting are those creatures that share important traits and yet are nothing like each other. The whale is one example, it is constructed like a fish but is really a mammal. The sphinx moth is another such creature.While definitely a moth, it behaves in every way like a hummingbird and feeds on the nectar inside tobacco blooms. As a normal moth the sphinx could never reach the nectar in these deep-throated blooms, but it has a special tongue like a hummingbird. The moth hovers over the flower while inserting its long tongue into the flower. Its tongue, which is actually longer than the rest of its body, has two grooved halves, which, when fitted together, create what amounts to a long straw to draw out nectar. If the two halves don't fit perfectly, the moth would starve to death.Obviously, the tongue of the first sphinx moth had to be fully-formed! As it hovers, the sphinx moth actually rivals the hummingbirds' 50 wing beats per second with its own wing beat of 25 to 45 times per second!The wonderfully varied patterns in creation do not speak of relationships forged by millions of years of…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ian T. Taylor, Mark W. Cadwallader

Topics covered

  • creation
  • design
  • sphinx moth
  • hummingbird
  • wisdom
  • Christianity

Keywords

  • sphinx moth
  • hummingbird
  • creation
  • design
  • nectar
  • evolution
  • Christianity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Creation Moments

Books & works: Psalm 92:5-6

More episodes of Creation Moments on Oneplace.com

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Creation Moments on Oneplace.com podcast page.