Small elephant hawkmoth
The small elephant hawkmoth is more warmly coloured than its larger relative and feeds mainly on lady's bedstraw in dry grassland and dunes.
| Where | Dry grassland, dunes and heathy commons |
|---|---|
| Size | 40 to 50 mm wingspan |
| When | May to August |
The small elephant hawkmoth is a compact hawkmoth with pink, yellow and olive-green stripes across the body and wings, warmer in tone than its larger relative the elephant hawkmoth, which shows a bolder pink stripe down the abdomen.
One generation flies from May to July, resting by day and visiting tubular flowers such as bedstraw and honeysuckle at dusk. Caterpillars feed mainly on bedstraws, especially lady's bedstraw, in dry grassland, dunes and heathy commons.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Green, Orange
Active
Night
To people
Attracted to light after dark; harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Much larger at about 60 to 70 mm wingspan, with a bold pink stripe down the abdomen that the small elephant hawkmoth lacks.
Questions
Is the Small elephant hawkmoth dangerous to people?
Attracted to light after dark; harmless to people.
When can you see the Small elephant hawkmoth?
The Small elephant hawkmoth can be seen from May to August, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Ben Sale from Stevenage, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Hawk moths›Deilephila
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.