Sphingidae : Macroglossinae
Small Elephant Hawk-moth
DEILEPHILA porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Small Elephant Hawk-moth
DEILEPHILA porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 40-45mm
Worldwide Distribution:
UK Distribution: England and Wales-widespread but local : Northern England and Scotland-thinly distributed : Ireland-coastal but widely distributed : Isle of Man-fairly widespread : Channel Isles : Widespread
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Calcareous grassland : Heathland : Chalk Downland : Sand-dunes
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates in cocoon in plant debris or just below ground
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth at first appearance is similar to the Elephant Hawk-moth D.elpenor but is smaller with wing markings in pink and golden yellow as opposed to pink and olive-green.Markings on the abdomen are also different with this moth having pink rings around the abdomen and a pink hairy thorax.
The colours of this beautiful moth make it unique amongst the Hawk-moths and is mistakable in the field.
The moth is attracted to light and is a regular to the moth light trap where they can be seen at times in good numbers.
Worldwide Distribution:
UK Distribution: England and Wales-widespread but local : Northern England and Scotland-thinly distributed : Ireland-coastal but widely distributed : Isle of Man-fairly widespread : Channel Isles : Widespread
UK Conservation Status -
- Local= 101 - 300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Sphinx porcellus Linnaeus, 1758
- Sphinx elpenor Linnaeus, 1758
- Not Specified
Habitat: Calcareous grassland : Heathland : Chalk Downland : Sand-dunes
Similar Species -
- Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor Linnaeus, 1758
Pupa: Pupates in cocoon in plant debris or just below ground
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: The moth at first appearance is similar to the Elephant Hawk-moth D.elpenor but is smaller with wing markings in pink and golden yellow as opposed to pink and olive-green.Markings on the abdomen are also different with this moth having pink rings around the abdomen and a pink hairy thorax.
The colours of this beautiful moth make it unique amongst the Hawk-moths and is mistakable in the field.
The moth is attracted to light and is a regular to the moth light trap where they can be seen at times in good numbers.
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.
- Lythraceae - Loosestrife Family
- Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife
- Onagraceae - Evening Primrose Family
- Epilobium angustifolium - Rosebay Willowherb
- Epilobium montanum - Broad-leaved Willowherb
- Rubiaceae - Bedstraw Family
- Galium album - White Bedstraw
- Galium boreale - Northern Bedstraw
- Galium mullugo - Hedge Bedstraw
- Galium verum - Lady's Bedstraw
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Vitaceae - Vitis - Grape
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Subtribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - DEILEPHILA: Species Names: Original Species Name: Genus Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Bombycoidea Sphingidae Macroglossinae Macroglossini Choerocampina DEILEPHILA Laspeyres 1809 Deilephila porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Sphinx elpenor Linnaeus, 1758 - = Choerocampa porcellus Linnaeus, 1758 SPHINX porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758) = lutescens Cockerell, 1887 = clara Tutt, 1904 = hibernica Tutt, 1904 = indistincta Tutt, 1904 = scotica Tutt, 1904 = suffusa Tutt, 1904 = galbana Gillmer, 1910 = flavocincta Wize, 1917 = Metopsilus porcellus colossus A. Bang-Haas, 1906 = Pergesa porcellus porca O. Bang-Haas, 1927 = Pergesa suellus sus O. Bang-Haas, 1927 = wesloeensis Knoch, 1929 = Pergesa suellus rosea Zerny, 1933 = cingulata O. Bang-Haas, 1934) = Pergesa suellus kuruschi O. Bang-Haas, 1938 = decolor Cockayne, 1953 = warneckei Capuse, 1963 = Deilephila suellus kashgoulii Ebert, 1977 = Pergesa porcellus sinkiangensis Chu & Wang, 1980 = Eumorpha suellus gissarodarvasica Shchetkin, 1981 = sibirica Eitschberger & Zolotuhin, 1992 = songoricus Eitschberger & Lukhtanov, 1996 = Deilephila porcellus colossus = Deilephila porcellus suellus. - 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 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.492 - n.16 - Not Specified - D.p.f.lutescens Cockerell,1887-Pink replaced with yelow D.p.f.indistincta Tutt, 1904-wings have greyish hue - D.p.colussus Bang-Hass, 1906-North afica-larger,more pink thorax,hindwing black more intense |