Species Details

ABH: 69.003

BF: 1981

Family: Sphingidae

Subfamily: Smerinthinae

Taxon: Laothoe populi

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular: Poplar Hawk-moth

Account: Common in parkland, gardens, fens, woodland, heathland and moorland throughout the British Isles. Unmistakable. Larva feeds on Aspen, White Poplar, Black Poplar, Goat Willow and Grey Willow, over-wintering as a pupa.

Accounts provided by and used with the kind permission of Mike Wall, Hampshire County Moth Recorder. These will in due course be gradually replaced with species accounts with a Surrey context.

Wingspan: 72 — 92 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 18 Apr (1975) — 15 Sep (1995)

The flight period of overwintering adults are not given. See the flight chart below the distribution map.

Foodplant: Populus sp. (a poplar), Salix sp. (a sallow).

Foodplant accounts are from the HOSTS database — Natural History Museum, London, UK. (CC0).

Status: Least Concern (LC)

UK BAP:

WCA:

Click here to view the full geology map of Surrey.

Verification Grade: 1 — Relatively easily identified 👌

Further Information: https://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/laothoe-populi/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 1081

Individuals: 402

Earliest Year: 1861

Latest Year: 2025

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