Poplar hawkmoth

Poplar hawkmoth
In Oxfordshire, England
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Sphingidae
Genus:	Laothoe
Species:	L. populi
Binomial name
Laothoe populi (Linnaeus, 1758) [1]
Synonyms
List Sphinx populiLinnaeus, 1758 Sphinx tremulaeBorkhausen, 1793 Merinthus palustrisHolle, 1865 Smerinthus borkhauseniBartel, 1900 Smerinthus roseotinctaReuter, 1893 Amorpha populi angustata(Closs, 1916) Amorpha populi depupillatus(Silbernagel, 1943) Amorpha populi flavomaculataMezger, 1928 Amorpha populi lapponaRangnow, 1935 Amorpha populi pallidaTutt, 1902 Amorpha populi philiponiHuard, 1928 Amorpha populi suffusaTutt, 1902 Laothoe populi albidaCockayne, 1953 Laothoe populi basilutescensCockayne, 1953 Laothoe populi bicolor(Lempke, 1959) Laothoe populi minor(Vilarrubia, 1973) Laothoe populi moestaCockayne, 1953 Laothoe populi pallidaNewnham, 1900 Merinthus populi salicisHolle, 1865 Smerinthus populi cinerea-dilutaGillmer, 1904 Smerinthus populi decorataSchultz, 1903 Smerinthus populi ferruginea-fasciataGillmer, 1904 Smerinthus populi ferrugineaGillmer, 1904 Smerinthus populi fuchsiBartel, 1900 Smerinthus populi grisea-dilutaGillmer, 1904 Smerinthus populi griseaGillmer, 1904 Smerinthus populi pallida-fasciataGillmer, 1904 Smerinthus populi rectilineataKlemensiewicz, 1912 Smerinthus populi rufa-dilutaGillmer, 1904 Smerinthus populi rufaGillmer, 1904 Smerinthus populi rufescens(de Selys-Longschamps, 1857) Smerinthus populi rufescensFuchs, 1889 Smerinthus populi subflavaGillmer, 1904 Smerinthus populi violaceaNewnham, 1900

The poplar hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found throughout the Palearctic region and the Near East and is one of the most common members of the family in the region. ^[2] It is distinctive due to its habit of resting with its hindwings held further forward than (but still half hidden by) the forewings.

Adults may be seen from May to September, and do not feed, not having a functional proboscis, and can vary in colour from grey to yellow. The larva is green, feeds on poplar and some other tree species, and pupates below ground.

Description

The poplar hawkmoth is a large (wingspan 70–100 mm (2.8–3.9 in)), odd-looking species of moth, due to its habit of resting with its hindwings held further forward than (but still half hidden by) the forewings. The species lacks a frenulum joining the wings together, and is said to look like a cluster of dead leaves of the main host, poplar.

When disturbed, the moth will suddenly reveal a bright orange-red basal patch on the hindwing, possibly as a distraction or startle display. The wings are grey marked with darker grey fascia but with the greys occasionally replaced by buffish tones, a form more frequent among females than males. There is a white spot at the distal edge of the cell on the forewings.

Gynandromorphs, half female and half male, are common. ^[2]

Poplar hawkmoths have been known to produce a hybrid when mated with the eyed hawkmoth, Smerinthus ocellatus ; the hybrid has eyes on the hindwings. ^[3]

Life cycle

Eggs

Late instar larva

One or two broods are produced each year and adults can be seen from May to August. ^[4] The moth lays eggs which are large, spherical, pale green, and glossy. These are laid singly or in pairs on the underside of leaves of the host plant. ^[2] Females lay around 50 to 200 eggs. ^[5] On first hatching the larva (or "hornworm") is pale green with small yellow tubercles and a cream-coloured tail horn. Later, it develops yellow diagonal stripes on its sides, and pink spiracles. Individuals feeding on willows may become quite heavily spotted with red. Others are more bluish white with cream stripes and tubercules. They are stout bodied, and grow to 65–85 mm (2.6–3.3 in). ^[2] The larva has a diet of tree leaves such as poplar, willow and aspen. ^[6]

The species overwinters as a pupa, ^[4] the larva pupating in an earthen cell 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) below the surface, near its host plant. It has a short cremaster. ^[2] The poplar hawkmoth lives for a few weeks as an adult, ^[7] during which it does not feed, instead relying on fat built up during the larval stage. ^[6] Although they emerge late at night or early in the morning, the moth flies starting from the second night and is strongly attracted to light.^{[ citation needed ]}

Host plants

The poplar hawkmoth feeds mainly on poplar and aspen, but sometimes on willow, alder, apple, tomato, birch, elm, oak and ash. The food source used by the moth often depends on location. ^[2]

Subspecies

• Laothoe populi populi
• Laothoe populi lappona(Rangnow, 1935)

Gallery

• 
  A male poplar hawkmoth, viewed from the back
• 
  A male poplar hawkmoth, viewed from the front
• 
  A female poplar hawkmoth, viewed from the back
• 
  A female poplar hawkmoth, viewed from the front
• 
  A gynandromorph poplar hawkmoth, viewed from the back
• 
  A gynandromorph poplar hawkmoth, viewed from the front

• 
  Mating pair showing both colour variants
• 
  Larva
• 
  Showing hindwing held forward of forewing
• 
  Imago, showing orange-red basal patch on hindwing
• 
  Imago, lateral view

Notes

1. "Sphingidae Taxonomic Inventory: Laothoe populi". sphingidae.myspecies.info. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-25. (Archived Link added on 15 September 2025)
2. A.R. Pittaway, 1993, "The Hawkmoths of the Western Palaearctic" page 102 (Book, Page and Link added on 15 September 2025)
3. Ford, R. (1963). Larger British Moths. Warne Observer Series. p. 20.
4. .Jennifer Owen (1991). The Ecology of a Garden: The First Fifteen Years. Cambridge University Press. p. 115. ISBN   978-0-521-34335-0.
5. "Laothoe populi — "Poplar hawk-moth"". breedingbutterflies.com. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2025. (Full citation added on 15 September 2025)
6. "Poplar Hawk-Moth (Laothoe populi)". Woodland Trust. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
7. "Poplar hawkmoth". Scottish Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 3 September 2025.

References

• Chinery, Michael (1993) [1986]. Insects of Britain & Northern Europe: The Complete Insect Guide. Collins Field Guide. London: Collins. ISBN   0-00-219918-1.
• Pittaway, A.R. (1993) [1992]. The Hawkmoths of the Western Palaearctic. London: Harley Books. ISBN   0-946589-21-6.
• Skinner, Bernard (2009) [1984]. Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles (Macrolepidoptera). London: Harley Books. ISBN   978-87-88757-90-3.
• "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 2012-12-28. Retrieved 2011-11-01.

External links

• Poplar Hawkmoth on UKMoths
• Description in Richard South The Moths of the British Isles
• Lepiforum e.V.