Meet the Large Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila elpenor)

Title photo by Robin Procter

It is one of the most common hawk moths in the UK and Europe

It gets its name as the caterpillar is said to resemble an elephants trunk

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Above photo by Pete Hawkins showing the brown variation of caterpillar

It is one of the most colourful moths sharing the same colouration with the smaller Small Elephant Hawk Moth

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Above photo of Large and Small Elephant Hawk Moths from here

It flies mainly in a single generation between June and September but with an occasional small second generation recorded in the south source

…active at dusk. It is commonly found in parks and gardens, as well as woodland edges, rough grassland and sand dunes source

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Above photo by Heath McDonald

Its caterpillars feed on the leaves of willow-herbs, fuchsia and bedstraw. The adults are nocturnal feeders of flowers that open, or produce nectar at night. It can hover whilst feeding

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Above photo by Rolf Nagel

There is usually only a single generation in a year, although occasionally there may be small second generation recorded in the south

The female moth release a sex pheromones in order to attract a mate

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Above photo by Richard Collier

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Above photo by Pablo Martinez-Darve Sanz

After successfully mating the female lays eggs either singly, or in pairs on their preferred food plants (willow herb, bed straw, and some garden plants like fuchsias, dahlias, and lavender). The eggs hatch within 10 days

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Above photo by Wolfgang Burens

The young caterpillars start off as yellowish white to green, then changing to a brown-gray colour with black dots along the length of the body when they have finished growing. There is often a green version of the full grown caterpillar. They reach approximately 3 inches long

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Above photo by Barry Forbes

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Above photo by Nigel Pugh

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Above photo by Beate

It takes about 27 days for the caterpillar to be ready to pupate. They find a secure spot usually at the base of a plant in debris, or underneath the ground. They then overwinter as a pupae!

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Above photo by Roger Wasley

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Above photo by <a href="">Richard Collier</a>

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Above photo by David

All information via wikipediaunless otherwise stated