science

Macroglossum passalus

Macroglossum passalus is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Macroglossum passalus rather than just read about it. In short: Macroglossum passalus, the black-based hummingbird hawkmoth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae described by Dru Drury in 1773. It is known from Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, south-eastern China, Taiwan, southern Japan, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java) and the Philippines.

Key takeaways

Macroglossum passalus belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Macroglossum passalus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Macroglossum passalus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Macroglossum passalus, the black-based hummingbird hawkmoth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae described by Dru Drury in 1773. It is known from Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, south-eastern China, Taiwan, southern Japan, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java) and the Philippines. The wingspan is 52–62 mm. Adults are attracted to the flowers of Duranta erecta and Lantana camara. They are on wing at dawn and dusk. Larvae have been recorded feeding on Daphniphyllum calycinum in Hong Kong, Photinia glabra in Japan and Photinia lindleyana in India.

Description Upperside: antennae brown, and thickest near their extremities. Head and thorax greyish brown, with a dark line running down the middle. Abdomen red brown, with two yellow spots on each side. Tail broad and hairy. Anterior wings, next the body, dark chocolate, occupying a third part; next to this they are of a light red brown, growing darker as it approaches the tips. Inferior wings yellow next the shoulders; the apical half being of a fine dark chocolate. Underside: head white. Tongue curled up. Breast and thighs yellow clay coloured. Legs, sides, and abdomen dark clay coloured. Wings, next the body, yellow clay coloured; the remaining parts being red brown, with a faint darker border along the external edges. Wingspan 2 inches (50 mm).

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Macroglossum passalus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Macroglossum passalus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Macroglossum passalus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Macroglossum passalus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Macroglossum passalus

In research: Macroglossum passalus appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Macroglossum passalus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Macroglossum passalus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Descriptions from Illustrations of Exotic Entomology, Macroglossum, Macroglossum stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Macroglossum passalus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Macroglossum passalus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Macroglossum passalus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Macroglossum passalus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Macroglossum passalus in simple terms?

Why does Macroglossum passalus matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Macroglossum passalus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Macroglossum passalus.