Deilephila elpenor: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the deilephila elpenor lives – recorded in 19 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Deilephila elpenor
Group	Butterflies & moths
Found in	19 countries
Continents	Asia, Europe
Class	Insect
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Sphingidae

Where does the deilephila elpenor live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the deilephila elpenor in 19 countries and territories across Asia and Europe.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the deilephila elpenor?

The deilephila elpenor (Deilephila elpenor) is an insect in the order Lepidoptera and the family Sphingidae, genus Deilephila. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the deilephila elpenor

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.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Deilephila elpenor (revision 1377252566), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q161384 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).