Lime Hawk-Moth

The lime hawk-moth is a member of the family Sphingidae found across much of Europe and into western Asia. It is named for its most common larval host plant, the lime or linden tree, though its caterpillars can also develop on elm and birch.

Unlike many hawk-moths, adults of this species do not feed at all, relying entirely on fat reserves built up during the larval stage, which shortens their adult lifespan to little more than the time needed to mate and lay eggs.

The species is notable for its unusually variable coloration, ranging from olive-green to pinkish-brown, and for the jagged, notched shape of its forewings, which helps it blend in with dead or curled leaves at rest.

• Medium-large hawk-moth with irregular, scalloped or notched wing margins unlike the smoother edges of most related species.
• Forewing coloration is highly variable, ranging from olive-green to pink-tinged brown, usually marked with darker, diffuse patches or bands.
• Body is stout and tapered, held close to the wings at rest in a leaf-like posture.
• Lookalikes: other Sphingidae in Europe, but the notched wing outline combined with green or pink tones is a reliable distinguishing feature.

Widespread across Europe into western Asia, the lime hawk-moth is found in parks, gardens, hedgerows, and woodland edges wherever lime, elm, or birch trees are present, including urban and suburban settings. Adults fly mainly in late spring to early summer, are active at night, and are occasionally attracted to lights, while larvae are found on host foliage through summer.

Adults do not feed and are active only at night, spending the day resting motionless on bark or foliage where their mottled, leaf-like coloring provides camouflage. Larvae are leaf-feeding herbivores, consuming lime, elm, or birch foliage and growing rapidly through several instars before descending to pupate in the soil. As with other hawk-moths, the species plays a minor ecological role as prey for birds and bats and, at the larval stage, as a herbivore of deciduous trees.

Eggs are laid on the leaves of host trees and hatch into green, horned caterpillars typical of sphinx moths, which feed through summer before dropping to the ground to pupate in loose soil or leaf litter. The species overwinters as a pupa, with adults emerging the following late spring. Generally there is a single generation per year across most of its European range, though warmer regions may occasionally produce a partial second brood.