Smerinthus ocellata, known as the Eyed Hawk-Moth, is a European moth of the family Sphingidae.

Caterpillar

The eyespots are not visible in resting position, where the forewings cover them. They are displayed when the moth feels threatened, and may startle a potential predator, giving the moth a chance to escape.^[2]

The adult moth has a wingspan of 70–80 millimetres (2.8–3.1 in).^[3]

Edward Newman described it thus:^[4]

The Eyed Hawk-Moth, so called from a large and beautiful spot in each of the hind wings that somewhat resembles an eye. The fore wings are brown, with a very beautiful reddish bloom over them, and clouded with olive-brown. The hind wings are of a delicate rosy red at the base, and a pale brown towards the margin; and each has a large and beautiful eye-like spot, grey in the centre, surrounded with blue, and the blue surrounded by a black ring. The skin of the caterpillar is rough, like shagreen; it is pale green, sprinkled with white, and has seven oblique white stripes on each side. The horn at the tail is blue. It is very common in the autumn, feeding on apple trees in gardens, and on willow bushes in hedges. The chrysalis is red-brown, and glossy. The Moth is found about Midsummer.

Subspecies

• Smerinthus ocellata ocellata
• Smerinthus ocellata atlanticus Austaut, 1890 (confined to the Atlas Mountains and their surrounding lowlands, from Morocco to Tunisia)^[5]
• Smerinthus atlanticus protai Speidel & Kaltenbach, 1981 (Sardinia and Corsica)

Smerinthus ocellata atlanticus is sometimes treated as a full species, in which case Smerinthus atlanticus protai is placed as a subspecies of this species, rather than Smerinthus ocellata.

See also

• Smerinthus cerisyi
• Smerinthus jamaicensis

References

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