Elephant Hawk-moth
Elephant Hawk-moth
Insect
A spectacular pink-and-green moth that flies on summer nights. Its remarkable caterpillar has a trunk-like front and flashes snake-like eyespots to frighten predators.
💡 Fun Facts
- This gorgeous moth is a dazzling mix of pink and olive-green, like a living sunset.
- Its caterpillar is named after an elephant because its front end can stretch out like a long, grey trunk.
- When alarmed, the caterpillar puffs up and shows off two big fake eyespots to look like a scary little snake.
📅 Through the Year
- Active:May to July
Name Story
Deilephila elpenor
means “dusk-lover named Elpenor”
What does its name mean?
- deile — evening, duskGreek
- phileo — to loveGreek
- elpenor — Elpenor, a hero from the Greek story of the OdysseyGreek myth
Deilephila means 'dusk-lover' — and sure enough, this moth comes out to fly as the evening light fades. Its second name borrows Elpenor, a character from an ancient Greek adventure story. (The 'elephant' in its English name is a different tale: its caterpillar has a stretchy, trunk-like snout!)