Sphingidae (Hawk-moths) Home

Common Name		Latin Name		Food plant(s)		Description
Convolvulus Hawk-moth		Agrius convolvuli		Field bindweed		Brown mottled with black, yellowish lateral stripes, curved horn on eleventh segment. Migrant.
Death's-head Hawk-moth		Acherontia atropos		Potato		Yellow, yellowish-green or brown, purplish-grey lateral stripes, small yellow or brown horn on eleventh segment. Regular migrant.
Privet Hawk-moth		Sphinx ligustri		Privet, ash and lilac		Bright green, purple-edged stripes, black curved horn on eleventh segment. Southern England and Wales.
Pine Hawk-moth		Hylocius pinastri		Scots pine		Reddish-brown, marked with white and dark brown on back and sides. Dark brown horn, orange-brown head. Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex and East Anglia.
Lime Hawk-moth		Mimas tilae		Birch, lime, English elm and alder		Yellowish-green dorsally, bluish-green on side, yellow stripes, curved blue horn. Southern England.
Eyed Hawk-moth		Smerinthus ocellata		Sallow, willow, apple, aspen and poplar		Bluish-green, white stripes, red spiracles and blue horn. England and Wales.
Poplar Hawk-moth		Laothoe populi		Sallow, poplar, aspen and willow		Yellowish-green, yellow stripes, red-brown spiracles and a yellow horn. Most of Britain.
Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth		Hemaris tityus		Devil's-bit scabious		Green, brown blotches, brown dorsal marks and purplish-brown horn. Most of Britain.
Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth		Hemaris fuciformis		Honeysuckle		Green tiny yellow warts, orangey spiracles, greyish-brown horn. Southern England.
Humming-bird Hawk-moth		Macroglossum stellatarum		Hedge bedstraw, lady's bedstraw and wild mustard		Green or brown, tiny white warts, whitish subdorsal line, yellow stripe and black horn on eleventh segment. Migrant.
Willowherb Hawk-moth		Proserpinus proserpina		Willowherbs, evening primrose and loosestrife		Pale grey, brown mottling, red spiracles. Occurred on two occasions in Britain (85 and 95).
Oleander Hawk-moth		Daphnis nerii		Oleander and periwinkle		Yellowish-green, blue-bordered white line, yellow horn. Infrequent migrant.
Spurge Hawk-moth		Hyles euphorbiae		Spurge		Shiny black, red head and broad dorsal line, large cream blotches, red horn. Uncommon migrant.
Bedstraw Hawk-moth		Hyles gallii		Bedstraw, willowherb and godetia		Dark olive-green, cream spots, reddish horn and head. Regular migrant.
Striped Hawk-moth		Hyles livornica		Bedstraw, knotgrass, snapdragon, dock, fuschia and grapevine		Green to almost black, yellowish-green lines, darker banding, red or orange horn. Frequent migrant.
Elephant Hawk-moth		Deilephila eupenor		Willowherb and bedstraw		Green or brown, speckled with grey, black and pinkish eye-spots on fourth and fifth segments, small horn. Most of England, Wales and Ireland.
Small Elephant Hawk-moth		Deilephila porcellus		Bedstraw		Greyish-brown, speckled with dark brown or black, pink and black eye-spots on fourth segment, smaller on fifth. Most of Britain, more frequent in the south.
Silver-striped Hawk-moth		Hippotion celerio		Bedstraw, willowherb, fuschia, Virginia creeper and grapevine		Grey, green or brown, speckled with black, pale yellow and black eye-spots on fourth and fifth segments, brown horn. Uncommon immigrant.
Hyles Vespertilio				Willowherb, bedstraw and loosestrife	A	Greyish-brown freckled white, double line of large yellowish-white or red, black-edged spots along back, no horn. Mediterranean Europe.