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uncommon
Elephant Hawk-moth
Deilephila elpenor
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, gardens, and grassy verges across Europe and temperate Asia
- Wingspan
- 60 mm
- Order
- Lepidoptera · Sphingidae
Weird but real
Its grey caterpillar has fake eyespots and inflates its front end to mimic a snake when threatened.
Why it's cool
A moth dressed in pink-and-olive velvet whose baby cosplays as a tiny serpent to scare off birds.
