69.018 : 1993 : 6865
Sphingidae : Macroglossinae

Silver-striped Hawk-moth

HIPPOTION celerio (Linnaeus, 1758)
Picture
Kind permission - © Tim Norriss
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
 Wingspan: Male - 60-70mm Female - 70-75mm
Worldwide Distribution: Southern Europe : Africa : central and southern Asia : Australia
UK Distribution: Rare immigrant from mainland Europe,mostly along the south coast
UK Conservation Status -
  • Migrant
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Sphinx celerio Linnaeus, 1758
Type Species - Hippotion
  • Sphinx celerio Linnaeus, 1758
Type Locality -
  • Europe
Flight Period: Europe - August - October-November
Habitat: Sunny Open Places along coast
Similar Species -
  • None - fairly unmistakable
Larva: The 75mm final instar larva is variable in green,brown or grey and has black speckles abovethe spiracle line an white speckles below. There is a yellow ring with black eye spot at the fourth segment and a small yellow spot on the next segment.The horn at the rear of the larva is brown or black.There are intermittent orange subdorsal line on each segment before becoming solid at the horn and down towards the anal prolegs. The spiracles are yellowish.
Pupa: Pupates on or just below underground in a slight cocoon.
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: This rare immigrant arrives from mainland Europe in variable numbers from none to 41 which arrived in the late nineteenth century.In most years fewer than ten are recorded which are mostly found along the south coast although they have been as far north as southern Scotland.
The moth originates in Africa where it breeds along the north coast before colonises southern Europe each summer.
Although similar to other Hawk-moths this moth is fairly unmistakable with its "silver stripe" that runs from the basal area finishing at the sharp apex.
Pink areas on the hindwing have numerous dark brown veins which also aid in the identification of this moth.
Although there is no evidence the moth breeds in Great Britain, larvae have been found, mainly in October.
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 - HIPPOTION:

Original Species Name:
Species Names:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Bombycoidea
Sphingidae
Macroglossinae
Macroglossini
HIPPOTION Hübner 1819
Hippotion celerio (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Sphinx celerio Linnaeus, 1758
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SPHINX celerio Linnaeus, 1758
= Sphinx tisiphone Linnaeus, 1758
= Sphinx inquilinus Harris, [1780]
= Elpenor phoenix Oken, 1815
= Hippotion ocys Hübner, [1819]
= augustii (Trimoulet, 1858)
= Deilephila albolineata Montrouzier, 1864
= brunnea Tutt, 1904
= pallida Tutt, 1904
= unicolor Tutt, 1904
= Hippotion sieberti Closs, 1910
= Hippotion rosea Closs, 1911
= Hippotion luecki Closs, 1912
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page :  p.491 - n. 10
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Europe