Sesiidae : Sesiinae
Hornet Moth
SESIA apiformis (Clerck, 1759)
Hornet Moth
SESIA apiformis (Clerck, 1759)
Kind permission - © Paul Brock
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 32-42mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Azores : Canary Is., Cyprus, Madeira and Malta) : Asia Minor : Caucasus : Caspian Region : Altai : Eastern USA & Canada - introduced in New England before 1880
UK Distribution: Nationally scarce,distributed mainly in central and southern England : Irish Rep - very local and infrequent : Channel Isles - local and rare : Wales - not recorded recently
UK Conservation Status -
Pheromone lure: HOR - located 1M from ground
Habitat: The Hornet moth prefers Poplar trees in open habitats where the sun can warm the trunk. Some trees are occupied year on year with chance of tree eventually being killed : Parks : Hedgerows : Golf Courses : Fens : Quarries : Pits : Pond Edges
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates last winter in cocoon made of silk and wood particles,emerging in April
Overwinters as: Once as a part grown larva and second winter as a pre-pupal larva
Observations: The Hornet moth is well named, with its large bulky body and yellow and black markings it is the perfect mimic for the Hornet - Vespa crabro. It even has the jerky wasp like movements when disturbed.
The moth is a nationally scarce species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and is almost certainly under recorded due to the limited success with the modern day pheromones which are usually used to locate clearwing moths.
When searching for this moth it is best to find a mature host tree like Black Poplar located in open habitat where the sun shines on the lower trunk and search the base of the trunk for exit holes. Upon emergence which takes place early to mid morning the discarded pupal exuviae is discarded giving further clues to the moth being at this location. Moths remain on the tree trunk, close to where they have emerged, usually for at least an hour as their wings inflate and harden so this is a good time to search for the moth.
The HOR lure is available for attracting males, which may tend to be infrequent.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe - ( Excluding - Azores : Canary Is., Cyprus, Madeira and Malta) : Asia Minor : Caucasus : Caspian Region : Altai : Eastern USA & Canada - introduced in New England before 1880
UK Distribution: Nationally scarce,distributed mainly in central and southern England : Irish Rep - very local and infrequent : Channel Isles - local and rare : Wales - not recorded recently
UK Conservation Status -
- Nationally Scarce B (Nb - BAP : 1997) = 31 - 100 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Sphinx apiformis Clerck, 1759
- Sphinx apiformis Clerck, 1759
- Not given with original publication
Pheromone lure: HOR - located 1M from ground
Habitat: The Hornet moth prefers Poplar trees in open habitats where the sun can warm the trunk. Some trees are occupied year on year with chance of tree eventually being killed : Parks : Hedgerows : Golf Courses : Fens : Quarries : Pits : Pond Edges
Similar Species -
- None
Pupa: Pupates last winter in cocoon made of silk and wood particles,emerging in April
Overwinters as: Once as a part grown larva and second winter as a pre-pupal larva
Observations: The Hornet moth is well named, with its large bulky body and yellow and black markings it is the perfect mimic for the Hornet - Vespa crabro. It even has the jerky wasp like movements when disturbed.
The moth is a nationally scarce species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and is almost certainly under recorded due to the limited success with the modern day pheromones which are usually used to locate clearwing moths.
When searching for this moth it is best to find a mature host tree like Black Poplar located in open habitat where the sun shines on the lower trunk and search the base of the trunk for exit holes. Upon emergence which takes place early to mid morning the discarded pupal exuviae is discarded giving further clues to the moth being at this location. Moths remain on the tree trunk, close to where they have emerged, usually for at least an hour as their wings inflate and harden so this is a good time to search for the moth.
The HOR lure is available for attracting males, which may tend to be infrequent.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus balsamifera - Balsam Poplar
- Populus nigra - Black Poplar - Lombardy Poplar (ssp italia)
- Populus tremula - Aspen Poplar
- Populus x canadensis - Golden Carolina Poplar
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species SESIA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Genus Names: Literary Refs: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Cossoidea Sesiidae Sesiinae SESIA Fabricius 1775 Sesia apiformis (Clerck, 1759) - [Sphinx] apiformis Clerck, 1759 - SPHINX apiformis (Clerck, 1759) = Aegeria apiformis = Sphinx apiformis Clerck, 1759 = Sphinx vespiformis Hufnagel, 1766 = Sphinx crabroniformis Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 = Sphinx sireciformis Esper, 1782 = Sphinx tenebrioniformis Esper, 1782 = Sphinx vespa Retzius, 1783 = Aegeria brunnea Caflisch, 1889 = Aegeria caflischi Standfuss, 1892 = Sphinx crabroniformis Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 = Aegeria rhodanis Mouterde, 1955 = Sphinx sireciformis Esper, 1782 = Sphinx tenebrioniforme Esper, 1779 = Sphinx vespa Retzius, 1783 = Sphinx vespiformis Hufnagel, 1766 - SESIA Fabricius 1775 = Aegeria Fabricius 1807 = Sphecia Hübner 1819 - Icones insectorum rariorum cum nomibus eorum trivialibus, locique e C. Linnæi. - pp. [1-10], Tab. 1-16. Holmiæ: Title Page : pl.9, fig.2 John Curtis, 1791-1862 - British entomology : being illustrations and descriptions of the genera of insects found in Great Britain and Ireland: containing coloured figures from nature of the most rare and beautiful species, and in many instances of the plants upon which they are found. v.5 - (1823-1840) : Title Page : plate 372 : page 372- Trochilium apiforme - Not given with original publication |