Lime Hawkmoth

Mimas tiliae · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Sphingidae

Also called: Lime Hawk-Moth

Damages trees, gardens or crops. The lime hawkmoth larvae can damage lime trees and occasionally other shrubs.

Size

Wingspan ranges from 70 to 80 mm (about 2¾ to 3⅛ inches).

Occurs throughout the Palearctic region, the Near East, and northern Spain.

Larvae are green with yellow, red side markings and a blue horn, feeding mainly on lime but also on other trees and shrubs.

Adults fly at night in May and June and are attracted to light.

Its native range matches its habitat: Palearctic, Near East, and northern Spain.

No other Palearctic sphingid shares its distinctive wing markings, so it is not easily confused with other species.

Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Utah.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

Do lime hawkmoth larvae damage trees?

Yes, the larvae feed on lime trees and can cause damage to those trees and occasionally other shrubs.

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.