Undiscover
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ed insect (Invertebrate) of Mada -
gascar .
Scientific name: Xanthopan sp.
Physical description: Hawk mot h wit h a 16-
inch pr oboscis.
Distribution: Lake It asy, Madagascar .
Possible explanation: The epiphyt ic Madagascan
or chid Angraecum longicalcar has a rost rellum
about 16 inches deep t hat leads t o it s nect
ar-pr oducing or gans. No known local mot h has
a proboscis t hat long. However , ent omologist
Gene Kr it sky pr edict s t hat one must exist , since
t he plant manages t o propagat e it self.
Present status: The exist ence of a Madagascan
hawk mot h (Xanthopan morgani praedicta) wit h
a 12-inch pr oboscis was pr edict ed in 1862 by
Char les Darwin, due t o t he physical r equir ement
for r eaching t he nect ar in t he Comet or -
chid (Angraecum sesquipedale). The insect was finally
discover ed and descr ibed in 1903.