Sunday 2 May 2021

Sphingidae pupa ID?

 I wonder can you ID the species from the pupa? 



This one was found in the top layer of turf or just below the surface.

Isobel Huggins, Goring on Thames

3 comments:

  1. Hi Isobel,

    It would help to know what was growing close by (for example, any trees, or was it not too far from fuchsia or willow-herb?). I think the chances are that it is Elephant Hawk-moth but the easiest and perhaps most exciting way to find out is to wait for it to emerge in a few weeks. If you are desperate to know exactly what it is now, the best resource I can think of is the late Reg Fry's UK-Leps website: www.uk-leps.org/

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  2. Thanks Dave for the pointers. The pupa was in a 'lawn', more wildflowers than grass ( mosses, yellow rattle, ladies bedstraw, yarrow, plantains on clay/fint) but also just under the canopy edge of Scots Pine trees; some fuchsias lurk under the trees. I will check out the website.

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  3. Hi again Isobel,

    I've heard from Ched George, who knows about these things, and he says that the pupa is definitely that of Elephant Hawk-moth. From your description of the area in which it was found, that would suggest fuchsia being used as the larval food-plant.

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