Pink Elephant

Large Elephant Hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor)

Checking the results on the morning after we've run the moth trap all night is a little bit like opening presents — we never know quite what we'll find, but we're always hoping it will be something good. And finding a hawkmoth in the trap definitely qualifies as good. This gorgeous creature is a Large Elephant Hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor), so named because its caterpillar supposedly looks a bit like an elephant's trunk. I say "supposedly" because you need a fair bit of imagination to think so. The adult is a real stunner, a vision in pink and green, the latter fading to yellowish as the moth ages. They're a good size too, measuring about 1.5 inches (nearly 4 cm) long with a wingspan of nearly 2.25 inches (60 cm).  Presumably it was drawn to our garden by a good nectar source. It feeds at night on honeysuckle flowers, which are currently blooming in all corners of the property — including a big patch right near where we put the trap. They'll also feed on other tubular flowers.

This common species is found in gardens, heathland, open woodland, hedges and rough ground. The female will lay her eggs on bedstraws, willowherbs, and fuschias, all of which are present in the garden. Widespread throughout England and Wales, Large Elephant Hawkmoths have expanded north through Scotland and greatly through Ireland since the 1980s. It's common in central Europe and its range extends across much of Asia as far as Japan. Since the adults fly from May through August, this will hopefully be the first of many we see this summer.