Species Details

ABH: 69.007

BF: 1978

Family: Sphingidae

Subfamily: Sphinginae

Taxon: Sphinx pinastri

Authority: Linnaeus, 1758

Vernacular: Pine Hawk-moth

Account: Local in coniferous woodland, plantations, heathland and gardens throughout much of south-eastern England Unmistakable, there are three or four black dashes in disc, and the forewing fringe is chequered. Larva feeds mainly on Scots Pine and Norway Spruce, but also on Maritime Pine and Cedar-of-Lebanon, 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 — 80 mm

Surrey Flight Period: 11 Apr (2025) — 30 Aug (1984)

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

Foodplant: Cedrus deodara (Deodar), Cedrus sp., Pinus pinaster (Maritime Pine), Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine).

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/sphinx-pinastri/

Statistics

* Based on adult records only.

Records: 589

Individuals: 132

Earliest Year: 1887

Latest Year: 2025

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