Death's-head Hawk-moth       Pine Hawk-moth
69.006 BF1976  –  Sphingidae –  Sphinginae – Sphinx ligustri – Privet Hawk-moth Adult Macro:  CAT 1 – Distinctive species unlikely to be confused with others –       PDF Icon – click for Adult Macro Verification Guidelines
Green –  Rare / Uncommon / Scarce   
Taxonomy:   Macro   >>  Sphingidae  >> Sphinginae
ID Difficulty:  green  – easy to identify, generally distinctive and unlikely to be confused with other species.
ID pointers: A very large moth, that is unmistakable. The forewings are dark chocolate brown, with a pale clouded appearance on the leading edge. Black & pink abdomen and blackish thorax.
Distribution:  No records since 1900, until an adult was found in a garden in Long Eaton 2014. Further casual records continued until this one appeared in a garden in Sandiacre June 2017. A second specimen on 8th July 2017 trapped in same Sandiacre garden. Small population in this area. The Privet Hawk-moth was thought to be extinct in the county, but is now being trapped with more regularity in recent years, especially in the south and central areas of the county, but still very localised.
Flight Period: June /  July /  –  Usually found during June & July. One generation. Sometimes found at rest during the day, especially after emerging, on vertical surfaces, such as tree trunks and post Moth Activity: Nocturnal   – and is attracted to light Photographed: Yes –  Photographed By: Tony Davison, Ian Viles, Emily Milnes  © All Rights Reserved
*** Last updated on 13 June 2025 by TD ***
Forewing: 41-55mm Food Plant: Wild and garden Privet
Last Recorded By – Not Recorded
Last Recorded General Area – Not Recorded
IMAGES BELOW:  Sandiacre, Derbyshire – Image by Ian Viles © , Sandiacre, Derbyshire – July 1st 2023 – Tony Davison© / Sandiacre (2025) Emily Milnes©

69.006 BF1976- Privet Hawk-moth - Sphingidae - Sphinx pinastri
Privet Hawk- Ian Viles
Privet Hawk-moth - Tony Davison
Privet-Hawk-moth – Tony Davison
Privet Hawk-moth - 12th June 2025 - Sandiacre - Emily Milnes
Privet Hawk-moth – 12th June 2025 – Sandiacre – Emily Milnes
69.006 BF1976- Privet Hawk-moth - Sphingidae - Sphinx pinastri
Privet Hawk-moth - Tony Davison
Privet Hawk-moth - 12th June 2025 - Sandiacre - Emily Milnes

 
 
Privet Hawk-moth - 12th June 2025 - Sandiacre - Emily Milnes Privet Hawk-moth - 12th June 2025 - Sandiacre - Emily Milnes
 

Distribution Map for Sphinx ligustri

Found 88 records
    ↳ 6 from After 2025
    ↳ 48 from 2020 - 2024
    ↳ 34 from Before 2020

If the Map Layers function fails, just refresh the page and it should be OK after. Use the +- zoom on the top left, or on a tablet, use two fingers to zoom. Remember, the last layer you ticked is the one which displays the popup information - they sit on top of each other - de-select then re-select, to see the popup values.

******* Choose ONLY one at a time, of either Monad, Tetrad or Hectad Distribution - each has it's own set of data. Also, the distribution maps cover ALL recorded data. *******

Bedrock Geology ** indirectly affects moth distribution by influencing the type of habitat and food plants available in an area. In turn, this may affect the types of moths that can thrive, or where they can most likely be found.

Land-cover * shows the variety of land-cover within the VC57 area, based on the CORINE (Coordination of Information on the Environment) forty-four thematic classes of land-cover. This will show, to a greater or lesser degree, the number and variety of moths found in different land-cover types. The UK continues to operate within the Copernicus programme, with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) providing Corine Land Cover (CLC) datasets for the UK and its territories.


NBN Atlas UK Distribution for – Sphinx ligustri

⚠️ Please wait for the map to load fully – do not click the link shown.


Note – the NBN Atlas datasets are listed in the map below and vary in their currency (uptodateness) – however, the map does give a general indication of the moth's distribution across the UK.

Visit NBN Site


Monthly Records By Year: Sphinx ligustri
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Monthly Counts By Year: Sphinx ligustri
( data is based on 'Adult' stage records only. )


First/Last Recorded Dates: Sphinx ligustri
Adult-only & Anything [Larvae, Pupae, Adult, Mines]

Shading shows moth presence between dates

Click the colour discs below to Select/De-select as Required

Recordings By Year: Sphinx ligustri
( All data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )
Annual Growth Rate (AGR): Sphinx ligustri
AGR: 0%   |   Total % Change: 0%


CUSUM Analysis: Sphinx ligustri
About this chart: CUSUM (Cumulative Sum) charts track long-term trends in moth populations [ filtered by 'Adult' and 'Mine' life stages ] by showing whether each year’s counts are above or below the historical average. Even small shifts build up over time, making trends of growth, stability, or decline easier to see. CUSUM highlights trend-consistency — asking: “Across the years, have moth counts mostly stayed above or below average?”
The data sample has 14 gap year/s here (zero records) between 2000 and 2025. The moth may have been present in those gap years, but no data was available. Too many year-gaps may exaggerate or skew the chart.

Counts for the current year (2025) are pro-rated based on data available up to month 7 (July) to provide a full-year equivalent.

ⓘ Purple line rises = years better than average; falls = years worse than average.
Peak (best year) Trough (worst year) Growth periods Decline periods
Population peaked around 2022, reaching above average levels. The lowest population point occurred near 2017, showing a significant decline.

What the Y-axis "Cumulative Deviation" means: Cumulative Deviation shows the running total of how each year’s moth population count differs from the long-term average. i

Hectad (10kmx10km) Coverage: Sphinx ligustri
( data includes both Larvae and Adult Stages )

Flight Periods – Indicative –vs– Recorded Data
Sphinx ligustri
( data includes Adult Stage only )

Flight Period chart – the grey hatched area above, which can cross one or more months, pictorially represents the best guess we have for this moth's flight periods [month/s]. The coloured lines represent the actual months seen in flight, from site observation records received between 2020-2025.

Records Behind the Map and Charts - Sphinx ligustri – 88 records available

Listed by Year - descending - scroll across to see all table columns

TaxonSite NameTetradYearDateCountStageSource
Sphinx ligustriDWT Wyver LaneSK35K202503/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriAllestree, DerbySK33P202512/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriFindern, DerbyshireSK33A202525/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriFindern, DerbyshireSK33A202527/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriFindern, DerbyshireSK33A202530/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriChaddesden, DerbySK33T202519/06/20251adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriStonebroomSK45E202408/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriSandiacreSK43S202402/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriSandiacreSK43S202414/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriStonebroomSK45E202419/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriSandiacre gardenSK43S202414/07/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriSandiacre GardenSK43S202424/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriSandiacre GardenSK43T202408/06/20241adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriGlapwellSK46T202310/08/20231larvavc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriForbes Hole LNRSK43W202310/08/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202321/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriSandiacreSK43T202301/07/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriFindern GardenSK33A202307/07/20231Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriChurch Lane, Sheffield, England, GBSK38A202309/06/20231Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriMarlborough Road, Long Eaton, DerbysSK43X202310/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWensleydale Road, Long EatonSK43R202317/06/20231adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton - Marlborough RoadSK43X202310/06/20231Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriLong EatonSK43W202203/07/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202201/07/20222Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202216/07/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton - Marlborough RoadSK43X202208/07/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton , Wensleydale RoadSK43R202216/06/20223adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriSandiacre, Longmoor LaneSK43T202217/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriStaveveley DerbyshireSK47H202220/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202212/06/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202215/06/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202217/06/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202225/06/20222Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriSandiacreSK43T202214/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriSandiacreSK43T202215/06/20221adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202228/05/20221Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriNot givenSK43W202109/07/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202102/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton - Marlborough RoadSK43X202103/07/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriAllestree, DerbySK33P202114/07/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriAllestree, DerbySK33P202119/07/20212adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202111/06/20213adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202115/06/20211adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton - Marlborough RoadSK43X202105/06/20212Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton - Marlborough RoadSK43X202121/05/20211Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriElgar Drive, Sawley, Long EatonSK43R202115/05/20211adultDanes_2019-2021
Sphinx ligustriVanguard Rd, Long EatonSK43W202013/07/20201adultDanes_2019-2021
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202002/06/20203adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202008/06/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202030/06/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton - Marlborough RoadSK43X202019/06/20201Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriElgar Drive, Sawley, Long EatonSK43R202010/06/20202adultDanes_2019-2021
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202025/05/20201adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriWoodland AveSK43R202030/05/20203adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriRisley Rd, RisleySK43S201915/09/20191larvaDanes_2019-2021
Sphinx ligustriEnnerdale Road, Long EatonSK43S201921/08/20191pre-adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriPleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X201907/07/20191Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriPleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X201909/07/20191Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriPleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X201905/07/20191Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriPleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X201921/07/20191Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriBack Lane, GlapwellSK46T201901/07/20191adultDanes_2019-2021
Sphinx ligustriPleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X201930/06/20192Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriPleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X201923/06/20191Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriPleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X201930/06/20192adultDanes_2019-2021
Sphinx ligustriPleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X201923/06/20191adultDanes_2019-2021
Sphinx ligustriBriar Close, Newhall, SwadlincoteSK22V201905/06/20191adultDanes_2019-2021
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton - Marlborough RoadSK43X201814/06/20182Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriPleasley Pit CP, PleasleySK46X201710/06/20171Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton Gravel PitsSK53A201613/06/20161adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriLong EatonSK53A201613/06/20161Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriLong Eaton - Marlborough RoadSK43X201427/06/20141Adultvc57_irecords_extract
Sphinx ligustriMarlborough Rd,Long EatonSK43X201427/06/20141Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriMarlborough Rd, Long EatonSK43X201324/08/20131Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriNorton Park Crescent, Norton, SheffieldSK38K201114/09/20111Pupaevc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriPoolsbrook, Staveley (site not precise)SK47G200008/06/20001Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriSandcliffe Rd, Midway, SwadlincoteSK32A197401/01/19741Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriPoolsbrook, Staveley (site not precise)SK47G190008/06/19001Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriMickleover, Derby (site not precise)SK33C189001/01/18901Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriStapenhill, Burton on TrentSK22K188501/01/18851Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriFindern, Derby (site not precise)SK33A188501/01/18851Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriStapenhill, Burton on TrentSK22K188501/01/18851Larvaevc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriFindern, Derby (site not precise)SK33A188501/01/18851Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriRepton (site not precise)SK32B187801/01/18781Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriBurton on Trent area (site not precise)SK22K186301/01/18631Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriDerby (site not precise)SK33L182901/01/18291Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriRepton (site not precise)SK32B180001/01/18001Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriMickleover, Derby (site not precise)SK33C180001/01/18001Adultvc57_danes_bc_data
Sphinx ligustriDerby (site not precise)SK33L180001/01/18001Adultvc57_danes_bc_data

Death's-head Hawk-moth       Pine Hawk-moth

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