Deilephila elpenor
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Deilephila elpenor, the elephant hawk moth or large elephant hawk moth, is a moth in the family Sphingidae. Its common name is derived from the caterpillar's resemblance to an elephant's trunk. It is most common in Central Europe and is distributed throughout the Palearctic region. It has also been introduced in British Columbia, Canada. Its distinct olive and pink colouring makes it one of the most recognisable moths in its range, but confusing the elephant hawk moth with the small elephant hawk moth, a closely related species that also shares the characteristic colours, is quite common.
These moths are nocturnal, so feed on flowers that open or produce nectar at night. The elephant hawk moth has very sensitive eyes that allow it to see colour even at low light, and it was one of the first species in which nocturnal colour vision was documented in animals. The moth is also known for its hovering capability, which it uses when feeding on nectar from flowers. This behaviour is costly in terms of energy and can help explain why the moth has evolved such enhanced visual capabilities for efficient feeding. The moths also have an important role as pollinators throughout their habitat.... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 5 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Kunming | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | Leeds | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 8 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 9 | Hamburg | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Amsterdam | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Elephant Hawkmoth sighting in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 219th most-seen of the 300 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Elephant Hawkmoth in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Elephant Hawkmoth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
8th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Elephant Hawkmoth sightings, Cairngorms National Park ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Snowdonia National Park (United Kingdom, about 20%), Białowieża National Park (Poland, about 20%) and Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%).
Same family: Sphingidae
The closest relatives of the Elephant Hawkmoth that you can see in Cairngorms National Park (family Sphingidae, Sphinx Moths) are Poplar Hawkmoth (about 10%), Narrow-Bordered Bee Hawkmoth (about 10%) and Eurasian Hummingbird Hawkmoth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Elephant Hawkmoth is recorded against all the insects logged in Cairngorms National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
