69.016 : 1991 : 6862
Sphingidae : Macroglossinae

Elephant Hawk-moth

DEILEPHILA elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758)
Picture
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 45-60mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : Asia Minor : Central Asia : Japan
UK Distribution: England and Wales-well distributed and common : Scotland-local : Ireland-well distributed : Isle of Man-local : Channel Isles-local and rare
UK Conservation Status -
  • Common = >300 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Sphinx elpenor Linnaeus, 1758
Type Species - Deilephila
  • Sphinx elpenor Linnaeus, 1758
Type Locality -
  • Not Specified
Flight Period: South-May to early September : Elsewhere-May to early August
Habitat: Woodland : Heathland : Gardens : Hedgerows : Anywhere that Rosebay Willowherb grows
Similar Species -
  • Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus Linnaeus, 1758
Larva: The final instar larva has two colour forms namely dark grey and green.Side view-at abdominal sections 2 & 3 is probably the feature that makes this larva one of the easiest to recognise with two eye like markings.The green version has a series of black bands at 45° which straiten out to form a straight line when viewed from above. A back white tipped horn above the anal prolegs are another defining feature. Viewed from above-the black version only has black dashes on top. The body width of the larva in both versions widens at the second abdominal segment.
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon among plant litter or on the ground
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This moth is definitely unmistakeable in its pink and olive green forewing and it pink and black hindwing.The thorax and abdomen are the same pink and olive green but it also has a pink stripe down the abdomen.

Although at first glance the Small Elephant Hawk-moth D.porcellus look similar to this moth, it is smaller and is marked in green and yellow.

The moth is attracted to light and is a regular visitor to the light trap where it can be found sometimes in quite large numbers.

The moth is also feeds at flowers usually whilst in flight.

The larva is often found in gardens feeding on Fuschia.
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.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - DEILEPHILA:

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Forms/Aberrations:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Bombycoidea
Sphingidae
Macroglossinae
Macroglossini
Choerocampina
DEILEPHILA Laspeyres 1809
Deilephila elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Sphinx elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758)
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SPHINX elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758)
= Sphinx porcus Retzius, 1783
= Elpenor vitis Oken, 1815
= Chaerocampa lewisii Butler, 1875
= cinerescens Newnham, 1900)
= Theretra porcellus clara Tutt, 1904
= obsoleta Tutt, 1904
= pallida Tutt, 1904
= unicolor Tutt, 1904
= virgata Tutt, 1904
= vautrini Austaut, 1907
= daubi Niepelt, 1908
= hades Rebel, 1910
= alboradiata Lambillion, 1913
= philipsi Niepelt, 1921
= scheiderbaueri Gschwandner, 1924
= lugens Niepelt, 1926
= argentea Burrau, 1950
= szechuana Chu & Wang, 1980
= tristis Lempke & Stolk, 1986
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= DEILEPHILA Laspeyres 1809
= Chaerocampa auct.
= Choerocampa Duponchel 1835
= Cinogon Butler 1881
= Dilephila Hampson 1893
= Dilephila Kuznetsova 1906
= Dilophila Agassiz 1846
= Elpenor Agassiz 1846
= Metopsilus Duncan 1836
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SPHINX elpenor elpenor Linnaeus, 1758
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page :  p.491 - n. 15
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Not Specified
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D.e.f.pallida Tutt, 1904-Forewing lacking pink
D.e.f.daubei Niepelt, 1908-Almost brown
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D.e.macromera Butler, 1875-Nepal, northeastern India, Bhutan, northern Burma and Tibet.
D.e.elpenor Linnaeus 1758