Sphinx ligustri
| Privet hawk moth | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Sphingidae |
| Genus: | Sphinx |
| Species: | S. ligustri |
| Binomial name | |
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Sphinx ligustri Linnaeus, 1758 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Sphinx ligustri, known as the privet hawk moth, is a species of moth found in most of the Palearctic ecozone.
It has a 12 centimetres (4.7 in) wingspan (generally at rest), and is found in urban areas, forests and woodlands.
The male privet hawk-moth can make a hissing sound, if disturbed, by rubbing together a set of scales and spines at the end of its abdomen.
Their larva is usually found between July and August: buried in the earth preparing to become a pupa. They then fly in the following June.
As its name describes, the caterpillars feed on privets, as well as ash trees, lilacs, jasmine, and a number of other plants.
♀ Dorsal side. MHNT
♀ △ Ventral side. MHNT
♂Dorsal side. MHNT
♂△ Ventral side. MHNT
Caterpillar
Pupating
Pupa
Pupa, caterpillar, and adult
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