Worcestershire Record No. 27 November 2009 p. 17-18

Wendy Johnson wrote (on 4th August 2009):

“We have just found four presumably some sort of hawkmoth caterpillars feeding on bog bean Menyanthes trifoliata in our pond - are they elephant hawk moth? I can only think they crawled across the water lily leaves to get there!” The caterpillars were identified as those of Elephant Hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor. The usual food plants are Willowherbs and bedstraws, also Fuchsia and other plants (Porter 1997) and locally they are seen most often on Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion augustifolium and garden Fuchsias.