Privet hawk-moth: detecting & controlling the pest

Every owner of a privet hedge fears this pest. Here, you can learn how to recognise a privet hawk-moth infestation and whether to fight it.

The fat caterpillar of the privet hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri), right in the middle of a beautiful prickly privet hedge (Ligustrum). What if that soon resembles a chewed-off bush tree (Buxus) after an attack by the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis)? So many owners of a magnificent hedge have this fear. But there’s no need to panic right away, as you will learn in the following article.

No matter how beautiful a moth looks in the end, it needs food to grow. And that consists of plants. Unfortunately, these animals cannot please everyone. Had they specialised in weeds, they’d only find a few garden corners to grow in. But it immediately becomes life-threatening to a beloved ornamental plant. The privet hawkmoth much prefers the second variety. Nevertheless, you do not have to worry about having a holey hedge.

Privet hawk-moth: features

The privet hawk-moth is probably the largest native moth. The thick body of this large moth grows up to six centimetres long. It is easily recognised by pink-black markings on its body. The wings are brown, black. It hatches in June and lays its eggs on various deciduous trees, including privet. The caterpillars are very noticeable in this respect. They are dressed in bright green. But the most striking detail is the seven white and purple stripes on the side. At the rear end is the anal horn. This black object looks like a spike, but it is harmless. When fully grown, the caterpillars reach a size of ten centimetres. They linger on the plant until about September. Then they drop to the ground and pupate before the young moths hatch the next year.

Identifying privet hawk-moths

The caterpillars of the privet hawk moth, although conspicuously coloured, are still very easy to miss in dense hedges. The easiest thing to do is to look under the hedge. The caterpillars, which often only eat at night, leave behind quite a lot of faeces. Dark crumbs about the size of a pea, which have peculiar indentations may be found under the hedge. These are the droppings of the privet hawk-moth caterpillar.

Combatting the privet hawk-moth

If you have spotted privet hawk-moth on your privet, there is no reason to panic. The caterpillars do not cause any significant damage, since they occur only in low density. Quite the opposite – the appearance of the caterpillars is even a reason for joy, because the population has decreased steadily in recent years. Use the discovery to simply observe the development of these creatures. View the caterpillars as a piece of nature in your garden and watch them on their journey to adulthood.

In this article, you will find all the information you need about growing a privet hedge in the garden.