For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the U.K.
Privet Hawk-moths
Identify It > Moth Section > Privet Hawk-moths >
Scientific name: Sphinx ligustri
Size: Wingspan up to 120mm
Distribution: Mostly found in the southern half of the UK.
Months seen: June and July
Life span: Adult moths can live for up to 5 weeks
Habitat: Woodlands and gardens
Food: The larvae feed on privet (hence the name), lilac and ash
Special features: Privet hawkmoths are the largest resident moths found in the UK. Despite their large size they are well camouflaged and can be easily missed. The hind wings and abdomen feature attractive pink and black stripes. The forewings are pale brown with black lines running through them. The thorax is slate grey or black.
The caterpillars, which can be found from July to September, grow to 85mm. They're bright green with oblique purple and white stripes down their sides. The dorsal area frequently develops a purple blush when the caterpillar is fully grown, but not always. The face is pale green with a black and white border, and there is a black horn on the back end. A simple way to find the caterpillars is to look for the 6mm long hand grenade-shaped droppings which fall below the shrubs and trees they feed on.
When the caterpillars are ready to pupate they move down the foodplant and bury themselves in leaf litter. The privet hawk-moth chrysalis is dark brown and has a sharp point at the end of the abdomen and a small loop at the head end. They overwinter in this stage and emerge the following summer.
Sightings
2015 - Bath, Somerset - Wesley Samways (photo)
2015 - Seaford, East Sussex - Ron Robinson
2015 - Harlow, Essex - Barry Lamb (photo)
2015 - Walpole St. Andrew, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire - Bridgette Stevens (photo)
2015 - Ramsgate, Kent - Andy Collins (photo)
2015 - Bath, Somerset - Taelor Newport (photo)
2015 - Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire - John Gunn (photo)
2015 - Wisbech, Cambridgeshire - Kirsty Dixon (photo)
2015 - Guildford, Surrey - Anne Whitley (photo)
2015 - Lenham, Kent - Allison Quinn (photo)
2016 - Odiham, Hampshire - Colette Harvey (photo)
2016 - Little Canfield, Dunmow, Essex - Brian Wilkins (photo mating pair)
2016 - Welton, Lincoln - Fred Sweeting (photo)
2016 - Essex - Chris Carrington (photo)
2016 - Bude Cornwall - Suzanne and Nelson Hargreaves (photo)
2016 - Cardigan, West Wales - Jasmin Thomas (photo)
2016 - Desborough, Northamptonshire - Hazel and Jon Taylor (photo)
2016 - Boston, Lincolnshire - Sam Pinner (photo)
2016 - Paignton, Devon - Sharon Nott (photo)
2016 - Falkham, Kent - Brian Riches (photo)
2016 - Bristol - Katrina Blake (photo)
2016 - Trelawn, Looe, Cornwall - David Watton (photo)
2017 - Grafton Primary School, Dagenham, Essex - Amanda Armbruster (photo)
2017 - Chilwell, Nottingham - Marion Spray (photo)
2017 - Ormiston South Parade Academy, Grimsby - found by the children (photo)
2017 - St. David's, Pembrokeshire - Pauline Shaw (photo)
2017 - Bletchley Milton Keynes - Dean Patmore (photo)
2017 - Littlehampton, West Sussex - Stuart Hampton (photo)
2017 - Ramsgate, Kent - The Oakley Kids (photo)
2017 - Peterborough, Cambridgeshire - T.S. (photo)
2017 - Wellingborough, Northamptonshire - Zoe Calvert (photo)
2017 - Penryn, Cornwall - Kaspar Thomason-Darch (photo)
2017 - Ashford, Kent - Shaun Delaney (photo)
2017 - Tintagel, Cornwall - Steve Adonica Evans (photo)
2017 - Ashdown Forest, near Nutley windmill, East Sussex - Bobby McIntyre (photo)
2017 - Bristol - Silvia Mariani (photo)
2017 - Ovington, Thetford, Norfolk - Chris Lewis (photo)
2017 - Coltishall, Norfolk - Mike Powles (photo)
2017 - near Beesby, Lincolnshire - Bren Thackray (photo)
2017 - Rejerrah, Newquay, Cornwall - Kate Daniels (photo)
2017 - Luton, Bedfordshire - Helen Clarkson (photo)
2018 - Newhaven, Sussex - Nick Ingram (photo)
2018 - Freshford, Somerset - Stephanie Jenkins (photo)
2018 - Rainham, Essex - Richard Carle (photo)
2018 - Belvedere, Kent - Antonnella Carey (photo)
2018 - Lappa Valley, St. Newlyn East, Cornwall - Persie Marland (photo)
2018 - Carterton, Oxfordshire - Mike Teagle (photo)
2018 - Swindon, Wiltshire - Lisa Hobbs (photo)
2018 - Swindon, Wiltshire - Lisa Hobbs (photo)
2018 - near Blackfield, Southampton - Margaret McCrea (photo)
2018 - near Blackfield, Southampton - Margaret McCrea (photo)
2018 - Garlinge, Kent - Gaynor Humphries (photo)
2019 - Didcot, Oxfordshire - Lisa-Anne Dallas (photo)
2019 - Bristol - Pete Goodfield (photo)
2019 - Brandywharf, North Lincolnshire - Sylvimaree Westlake (photo)
2019 - Lincolnshire - Anna Blythe (photo)
2019 - near Wellingborough, Northamptonshire - Miss Shelton and Maple Class (photo)
2019 - near Northampton - Casper Witham (photo)
2019 - Eye, Suffolk - Jessica Holloway (photo)
2020 - Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire - Pauline Hawkes (photo)
2021 - Braunton,Devon - Tilly Ward (photo)
2021 - Bath, Somerset - Mark Howard (photo)
2022 - Bognor Regis, West Sussex - Alex Keegan (photo)
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