TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

EYED HAWKMOTH [1 record]

Record 1 1994-06-10

English

Subject field(s)
  • Insects, Centipedes, Spiders, and Scorpions
OBS

Not an officially sanctioned name of a moth, but rather a descriptive name given to a specific grouping of moths within the Sphingidae (or Smerinthidae) family (more commonly called Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths) that have eyes on their wings. Examples of eyed-hawk moths: yellow eyed-hawk moth, pink eyed-hawk moth. In Canada and Europe, examples of the Sphingidae family are more commonly called hawk moths, whereas in the U.S.A, the term "sphinx moth" is preferred. However both terms are used in Canada to refer to individual species e.g. pandora sphinx, but bedstraw hawkmoth

Key term(s)
  • eyed-hawkmoth
  • hawkmoth with eyespot
  • hawk moth with eyespot

French

Domaine(s)
  • Insectes, mille-pattes, araignées et scorpions
OBS

[Les ocelles colorés des Sphinx] servent à effrayer l'ennemi lorsque le papillon [de nuit] découvre ses ailes secondaires.

OBS

[Le nom «Sphinx» provient du fait que] les chenilles des Sphinx sont munies d'une corne à l'extrémité abdominale. Effrayées, elles prennent une position qui ressemble fort à celle du Sphinx d'Égypte.

OBS

Espèces typiques au Québec : Smerinthus jamaicensis (sphinx géminé), Smerinthus cerisyi (sphinx du saule).

Spanish

Save record 1

Copyright notice for the TERMIUM Plus® data bank

© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2024
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
A product of the Translation Bureau

Features

Language Portal of Canada

Access a collection of Canadian resources on all aspects of English and French, including quizzes.

Writing tools

The Language Portal’s writing tools have a new look! Easy to consult, they give you access to a wealth of information that will help you write better in English and French.

Glossaries and vocabularies

Access Translation Bureau glossaries and vocabularies.

Date Modified: