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After dark · Butterflies and moths
Elephant hawk-moth
Deilephila elpenor
A plump moth in bright pink and olive green, with a pink stripe down its back and narrow, pointed wings.
- Size
- Wingspan about 6cm
- Look for it
- May to July
- Where
- Gardens, waste ground, river banks and woodland clearings
My spotter's list
Circles your lamp at dusk. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
JFMAMJJASOND
Elephant hawk-moth
Good to know
Six things about the elephant hawk-moth
NameNamed for its caterpillar
The caterpillar's front end tapers like an elephant's trunk.
TrickA snake's head
When alarmed, the caterpillar pulls in its trunk and its front swells, showing four big eye-spots like a small snake.
PinkPink and green
Few British insects are as brightly coloured, yet hardly anyone sees it, because it flies at night.
DuskIt sees colour in the dark
Its eyes can tell colours apart by starlight, which helps it to find flowers.
HoverIt hovers to feed
Like its hummingbird cousin, it hangs in front of honeysuckle and drinks with a long tongue.
GardenA fuchsia eater
The big brown caterpillars are often found on garden fuchsias in late summer.
The real thing
Photos of the elephant hawk-moth
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
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Out and aboutHow to spot one
Watch honeysuckle at dusk in June. In August, look for the fat caterpillars on willowherb and fuchsia, often at head height. Take an adult with you.
Lend a handHow to help
If you find a large brown caterpillar with eye-spots crossing a path in September, leave it: it is looking for somewhere to bury itself for winter.
Following youLadybird
Who should follow you?
The garden
Meadow and hedgerow
Pond and stream bugs live on their own page: choosing one takes you there.
Pond and stream
The log pile
After dark
Bugs from other parts of the world live on their own pages: choose another.
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