Sphingidae : Smerinthinae
Poplar Hawk-moth
LAOTHOE populi (Linnaeus, 1758)
Poplar Hawk-moth
LAOTHOE populi (Linnaeus, 1758)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 72-92mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe (with the exception of the far north and parts of the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas), east as far as southern Turkey, and across Russia to just east of the Urals.Russia (north of the Kyrgyz Steppe), as far east as Irkutsk and the Barguzin Mountains (Transbaikalia, east bank of Lake Baikal), and then down to the extreme northwest of China in Xinjiang
UK Distribution: Common throughout Britain
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Parks : Gardens : Woodland : Heathland : Moors : Not high altitude
Similar Species -
Larva: June-September.The final instar larva of this moth is unmistakeable with light green base colour,covered in white dots with a series of 45˚white parallel lines along its length viewed from side, one of which marks the tail-horn at the rear, white.The spiracles or breathing holes are ringed in red.
Pupa: Overwinters underground near food plant
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The most common Hawkmoth in Britain,found in all the counties on the mainland.
This unmistakable moth has very distinctive wing patterns,with a background colour sometimes having a pink hue on some individuals, with a chestnut brown patch on the hindwings.
The moth at rest will project its hind wings forward of the leading edge of the forewings with its abdomen pointing upwards, providing a very unusual appearance.
It is thought the ruddy brown hindwing markings are displayed as a distraction or as a means of startling a possible predator.
The moth is strongly attracted to light.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe (with the exception of the far north and parts of the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas), east as far as southern Turkey, and across Russia to just east of the Urals.Russia (north of the Kyrgyz Steppe), as far east as Irkutsk and the Barguzin Mountains (Transbaikalia, east bank of Lake Baikal), and then down to the extreme northwest of China in Xinjiang
UK Distribution: Common throughout Britain
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Sphinx populi Linnaeus, 1758
- Sphinx populi Linnaeus, 1758
- Sweden
Habitat: Parks : Gardens : Woodland : Heathland : Moors : Not high altitude
Similar Species -
- Eyed Hawkmoth Smerinthus ocellata Linnaeus, 1758
Larva: June-September.The final instar larva of this moth is unmistakeable with light green base colour,covered in white dots with a series of 45˚white parallel lines along its length viewed from side, one of which marks the tail-horn at the rear, white.The spiracles or breathing holes are ringed in red.
Pupa: Overwinters underground near food plant
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The most common Hawkmoth in Britain,found in all the counties on the mainland.
This unmistakable moth has very distinctive wing patterns,with a background colour sometimes having a pink hue on some individuals, with a chestnut brown patch on the hindwings.
The moth at rest will project its hind wings forward of the leading edge of the forewings with its abdomen pointing upwards, providing a very unusual appearance.
It is thought the ruddy brown hindwing markings are displayed as a distraction or as a means of startling a possible predator.
The moth is strongly attracted to light.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants
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.
- Betulaceae - The Birch Family
- Alnus glutinosa - Alder - Elder
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Fagaceae - Oak - Chestnut - Beech Family
- Quercus robur - Pedunculate Oak
- Rosaceae - The Rose Family
- Malus domestica - Apple
- Salicaceae - Willow Family
- Populus alba - White Poplar
- Populus balsamifera - Balsam Poplar
- Populus canadensis - Golden Carolina Poplar
- Populus nigra - Black Poplar - Lombardy Poplar (ssp italia)
- Populus tremula - Aspen Poplar
- Salix alba - White Willow
- Salix aurita - Eared Sallow
- Salix caprea - Goat Willow
- Salix fragilis - Crack Willow
- Salix myrsinifolia - Dark-leaved Willow
- Salix Pulchra - Tealeaf Willow
- Salix purpurea - Purple Osier
- Salix udensis - Japanese Fantail Willow
- Salix viminalis - Osier
- Ulmaceae - Elm Family
- Ulmus glabra - Wych Elm
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - LAOTHOE: Original Species Name: Species Names: Original Nominate Subspecies: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Bombycoidea Sphingidae Smerinthinae Smerinthini LAOTHOE Fabricius, 1807 Laothoe populi (Linnaeus, 1758) - SPHINX populi (Linnaeus, 1758) - SPHINX populi (Linnaeus, 1758) = populi Linnaeus 1758 = palustris Holle 1865 = salicis Holle 1865 = tremulae Borkhausen 1793 = lappona Rangnow 1935 = borkhauseni Bartel 1900 = roseotincta Reuter 1935 - Sphinx populi populi Linnaeus, 1758 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.489 - n.2 - Sweden - L.p.f.lappona Rangnow, 1935-Lapland-small dark subarctic form - L.p.populi Linnaeus, 1758 L.p.iberica Eitschberger, Danner & Surholt 1998 L.p.populeti Beinert, 1870 - Trancaucasia : Armenia : E Turkey :NE Iraq : Uzbekistan : Tajikistan: Kyrgyzstan : E Kazakhstan : Tian Shan : Xinjiang Province, China |