Insects sense their own body movements as well as external perturbations via proprioceptive feedback. In particular, the Femoral Chordotonal organ (FeCO), which is embedded in their legs, senses the femoro-tibial joint movements. Extension of the joint stretches and activates these mechanosensors, whereas joint flexion relaxes them. FeCO is an integral part of local sensori-motor feedback loops which control many leg behaviours, including posture maintenance and walking. To characterize the role of FeCO in flight initiation, we developed an assay in which a quick removal of removal of the substrate from legs initiated rapid flight response in the Oleander hawkmoth, Daphnis nerii. This so-called ‘tarsal reflex’ causes rapid initiation of flight, completely bypassing the preparatory ‘warm up’ phase of flight initiation which can take up to a minute. To explain this fast response, we hypothesized that the neural projections of FeCO to colocalize with the flight motoneuron arbors in the thoracic ganglia. We therefore filled sensory and motor neurons with fluorescent dyes and imaged whole mounts using confocal microscopy. We also characterized the morphology and neuroanatomy of the FeCO in Daphnis nerii, after identifying its location at the proximal end of the femur. Phalloidin stains of FeCO revealed the number of scolopidial units broadly organized into 2 subunits. These data lay the groundwork for future physiological investigation of the femoral chordotonal organs in hawkmoths.