MothsMoths Index Aedia arctipennis Agrius convolvuli (Convolvulus Hawk Moth) Anthela guenei (Four-Spot Anthelid Moth) Austrocaligula engaea (Mistletoe Emperor Moth) Case Moths (Variety of Cocoons) Coenotes eremophilae Comocrus behri (Mistletoe Moth) Cosmodes elegans (Green-blotched Moth) Donuca spectabilis (White-spotted Owl-Moth) Four-spotted Cup Moth (Doratifera quadriguttata) Endoxyla cinereus (Carpenter Moth) Hippotion celerio (Vine Hawk Moth) Hyles livornicoides (Australian Striped Hawk Moth) Leaf Case Moth Metura elongatus (Saunders’ Case Moth) Ochrogaster lunifer (Bag-shelter Moth) Opodiphthera eucalypti (Emperor Gum Moth) Plume Moth Ribbed Case Moth Sameodes cancellalis Utetheisa (Rattlepod Moth)
Known as the Vine Hawk Moth (Hippotion celerio), in the family Sphingidae, has a number of common names including Gabi Moth, Silver-striped Hawk-moth, Vine Hawk-moth and Grapevine Hawk Moth. They can be seen in the early morning, dusk and at night.
This species of hawk moth has a wide distribution across Australia and overseas from Africa, southern Europe and southern Asia.
The adult moth colours are browns, ochre, cream to white and dark brown to almost black, in pattern of striking lines and stripes. When the moth spreads its wings, the hindwing dispaly red with pinkish markings near its lower angle (tornus), being the rear corner of a wing, where the outer margin meets the inner margin. The wingspan of the adult moth is about 6 cm. There is some variation in the colouration and pattern of the adult moths.
The adult Hippotion celerio feed on nectar from flowers using long tongue to extract nectar and often feed while hovering over the flowers.
Growing up to a length of 8 cm, the caterpillar are variable in colour, occurring in green, brown, red or dark grey. They also have an prominent eyespot on each side of the first and the second abdominal segments, the eyespot in first segment being larger in appearance.
When disturbed, the caterpillar will curl into the shape of a letter ‘C’, tucking its head under its thorax, this in terms expands the segments with the eyespots (possibly to distract and deter predators).
When it is ready to pupate, it does it in a shelter on the ground, made from plant debris below the shrub/tree. The pupa is about 4.5 cm in length.
Check out our Western Australia Insects | WA Moths Index | Hippotion celerio
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Unranked: Ditrysia
- Superfamily: Sphingoidea
- Family: Sphingidae
- Subfamily: Macroglossinae
- Genus: Hippotion
- Species: Hippotion celerio
Footnote & References
- Hippotion celerio, Photographs © Deb Taylor
- Hippotion celerio (Linnaeus, 1758), Grapevine Hawk Moth, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/d9061bb7-6e32-4e47-bb5c-ebd6f1919ec0
- Vine Hawkmoth (Hippotion celerio), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/199458-Hippotion-celerio
MothsMoths Index Aedia arctipennis Agrius convolvuli (Convolvulus Hawk Moth) Anthela guenei (Four-Spot Anthelid Moth) Austrocaligula engaea (Mistletoe Emperor Moth) Case Moths (Variety of Cocoons) Coenotes eremophilae Comocrus behri (Mistletoe Moth) Cosmodes elegans (Green-blotched Moth) Donuca spectabilis (White-spotted Owl-Moth) Four-spotted Cup Moth (Doratifera quadriguttata) Endoxyla cinereus (Carpenter Moth) Hippotion celerio (Vine Hawk Moth) Hyles livornicoides (Australian Striped Hawk Moth) Leaf Case Moth Metura elongatus (Saunders’ Case Moth) Ochrogaster lunifer (Bag-shelter Moth) Opodiphthera eucalypti (Emperor Gum Moth) Plume Moth Ribbed Case Moth Sameodes cancellalis Utetheisa (Rattlepod Moth)