It appears in May and June and is a lively day-flier (unlike most other sphingids), generally active from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

Frequenting marshy woodland and damp moorland, it has a wide distribution across temperate Europe and Western Asia, but is generally quite scarce.

The larvae feed on devil's-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis) and field scabious (Knautia arvensis). Wingspan 40-50 mm.

References