Hummingbird Hawk-moth

The records for the Nottinghamshire distribution map are currently provided by the following contributors - Trevor and Dilys Pendleton. Lound Moth Group. Richard Rogers. Netherfield Wildlife Group. Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth reports 2003-2012). Sean Tobin. Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth report 2013). Pauline Bradford. Andy Borroff. Darren Matthews. Phil Lee. Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth report 2014). Oliver Lockett. Robert and Jill Carlyle. Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth report 2015). Pauline Bradford. Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth report 2016). Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth report 2017). Phil Cadman. Martin Gray. Meg Skinner. Robert Along Emarton. Paul Naylor. Dee Burrows. Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth report 2018). Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth report 2019). Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth report 2020). Jason Reece and Lily Reece. Nick and Samantha Brownley. Oliver Lockett. Rich Hand. Brian Wetton. Sheila Wright (Nottinghamshire macro moth report 2021). Martin Kennewell. Neil Pinder. David Yates.

You can contribute your own records to help us gain an accurate status of this species in Nottinghamshire. Send an Excel spreadsheet of your records via the 'contact us' link at the top of the homepage.

Updated January 2025

Photographed at Market Warsop July 16th 2010

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Photographed at Market Warsop September 12th 2014

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Photographed at Market Warsop July 16th 2010

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Photographed at Market Warsop September 12th 2014

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Photographed at Eakring village September 21st 2006


Early stages
Ovae, photographed on Lady's Bedstraw at Market Warsop, July 2023.

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Ovae, photographed on both Red and White Valerian (Centranthus) at Market Warsop, August 2026.

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1st-instar larva. Photographed on White Valerian (Centranthus) at Market Warsop, August 2026.

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3rd-instar larva. Photographed on Lady's Bedstraw August 2026

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3rd-instar larva. Photographed on Lady's Bedstraw July 2022.

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4th-instar larva. Photographed July 2022.

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5th-instar larvae. Ground colouration is variable, ranging from olive, green through to pinkish brown. Photographed July 2022.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Status .....Once regarded as being rare, the Hummingbird Hawk-moth has become an increasingly regular migrant to Nottinghamshire over recent years. Records tend to peak in August and September, following earlier arrival of the first moths in June or early July, with the flowers of Red Valerian being a great attractant to this day-flying moth. There is opinion from some quarters, that the Hummingbird Hawk-moth is now overwintering and breeding in Nottinghamshire now (at least some years) but we believe this to be extremely unlikely, although odd examples have certainly passed the Winter in Nottinghamshire. The accompanying graph is produced from our own 95 records up to 2014 and is typical of good 'Hummer' years, showing that the first moths can be expected to arrive in June or early July. Peak numbers of return migrants move through from early to mid-August depending on the arrival dates of the first migrants and continue through to the first week of October.
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Nottinghamshire (VC56) distribution of Hummingbird Hawk-moth