title: Sphinx ligustri
text: # Sphinx ligustri
  
  Sphinx ligustri, the privet hawk moth, is a moth found in most of the Palearctic realm. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
  
  ## Description
  
  It has a 12 centimetres (4.7 in) wingspan (generally deflexed at rest), and is found in urban areas, forests and woodlands.
  
  The male privet hawk moth can make a hissing sound, if disturbed, by rubbing together a set of scales and spines at the end of its abdomen.
  
  The larvae are usually found between July and August: and bury themselves in the earth when preparing to become a pupa. They then fly in the following June.
  
  ## Diet
  
  As its name describes, the caterpillars feed on privets, as well as ash trees, lilacs, jasmine, and a number of other plants.
  
  ## Gallery
  
  * Female, dorsal side
  * Female, ventral side
  * Male, dorsal side
  * Male, ventral side
  * Caterpillar
  * Pupating
  * Pupa
  * Pupa, caterpillar, and adult
  