Elephant Hawk-moth vs Five-Spotted Hawk Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Elephant Hawk-moth Five-Spotted Hawk Moth
Scientific Name Deilephila elpenor Manduca quinquemaculata
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Sphingidae Sphingidae
Size 55-70 mm wingspan 95-130 mm wingspan
Habitat Rivers & Streams Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, temperate Asia Throughout North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Elephant Hawk-moth

A stunning pink and olive-green moth that hovers at flowers like a hummingbird at dusk. Its caterpillar has eyespots and a trunk-like shape, resembling a small elephant.

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Did You Know?

It has exceptional night vision and can see colour in near-total darkness.

Five-Spotted Hawk Moth

A large mottled gray moth whose caterpillar is the familiar tomato hornworm with a distinctive black horn. The adult has five pairs of yellow-orange spots on its abdomen.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillar is frequently confused with the tobacco hornworm but can be distinguished by its V-shaped white markings instead of diagonal stripes.