Emperor moth vs Eyed hawk-moth

These two are easy to mix up. Here's how to tell an emperor moth from an eyed hawk-moth, and whether either one bites or stings.

≠The key differences

Has eye spots only on the hindwings, which are hidden at rest, and a long, scalloped hawk-moth wing shape; it flies at night and later in the year.

	Emperor moth	Eyed hawk-moth
To humans	Non-toxic	Non-toxic
Size	Wingspan 50-80 mm (males usually smaller than females)	70-80 mm wingspan
Colours	Brown, Orange-brown, Grey, Blue (eye spot), Black	Brown, Grey, Pink, Black
Family	Saturniidae	Sphingidae
Habitat	Open sunny sites: heath, moorland, rough grassland, hedgerows, woodland edge and scrub	Woodland edges, riversides, parks and gardens where willows and poplars occur
Range	Western Palearctic: widely across Europe into western Asia (temperate regions)	Widespread across Europe into western Asia; absent from extreme north and some Mediterranean islands
Active	Spring (typically March to May depending on latitude); males fly in sunshine by day, females mainly at night	Late spring to early summer (varies by region); crepuscular and nocturnal
Pest?	No	No

Look for conspicuous eye spots on each wing: dark central spot with blue and pale rings.
Males have very feathery antennae, grey-brown forewings and orange hindwings; females are larger and mostly grey.
Spring flight time (March-May) distinguishes it from many summer saturniids.
Older caterpillars are bright green with black bands and colourful bristly warts; young ones are black.

Rounded hindwing 'eye' spot: a blue ring around a black pupil on a rosy-pink background, revealed when disturbed.
Mottled brown-grey forewings with rounded outline and subtle transverse lines.
Large size with 70-80 mm wingspan and stout, furry body typical of Sphingidae.
Caterpillars are green with white diagonal side stripes and a blue tail horn.

Has eye spots only on the hindwings, which are hidden at rest, and a long, scalloped hawk-moth wing shape; it flies at night and later in the year.

Emperor moth: Non-toxic. Eyed hawk-moth: Non-toxic. Emperor moths are harmless to people. Adults do not bite or sting and are harmless.

Identification from photos is never certain: don't handle insects you can't identify, and get medical advice for bites, stings or allergic reactions.