Proboscis

First attested in English in 1609 from Latin proboscis, the latinisation of the Ancient Greek προβοσκίς (proboskis),[1] which comes from πρό (pro) 'forth, forward, before'[2] + βόσκω (bosko), 'to feed, to nourish'.

In this species, the moth hovers in front of the flower and extends its long proboscis to attain its food.

[8] The study of insect mouthparts was helpful for the understanding of the functional mechanism of the proboscis of butterflies (Lepidoptera) to elucidate the evolution of new form-function.

[9][10] The study of the proboscis of butterflies revealed surprising examples of adaptations to different kinds of fluid food, including nectar, plant sap, tree sap, dung[11][12][13] and of adaptations to the use of pollen as complementary food in Heliconius butterflies.

In gastropods, the proboscis is an elongation of the snout with the ability to retract inside the body; it can be used for feeding, sensing the environment, and in some cases, capturing prey or attaching to hosts.