Description: Wingspan 72-80mm. Adults are light ochreous brown with two white lateral stripes at the side of the thorax. The forewings are ochreous brown, with a white basal streak and line that runs towards the apex; fine white lines near the outer margin. The hindwings are pinkish red at the basal area, with two darkish bands that are pale white in between. Normally flies in spring and again in the autumn on the continent. The vast majority of records in Britain are of adults taken at light from late summer until early autumn.

World Distribution: Across southern Palaearctic.

Irish Distribution: A very rare immigrant to Britain and Ireland and seldom encountered in any numbers. In N. Ireland it has been recorded once in Belfast on 28 November 1938. The specimen is in the Ulster Museum. The recorder is unknown. There are only 2 other Irish records from Sligo and Dublin around the late 19th century.

Ecology: Adults are capable of long and sustained flights over great distances. The larvae have in the past been reported in Britain, but are unlikely ever to reach maturity in the wild. The larval foodplants are bedstraw Galium spp., willowherb Epilobium spp. and fuchsia Fuchsia spp.

Key Identification Features:

• Sharply tapered abdomen
• Double dorsal line on abdomen
• Basal streak and line on forewing

Distribution Map from NBN: Hippotion celerio at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Hippotion celerio at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.