The lime hawk-moth belongs to a large family that ranges across Europe to Japan. It is especially common in towns and cities where is planted as a street tree. The lime hawk-moth's larva feeds on the leaves of a range of deciduous trees, but it prefers lime. Like most hawk-moth larvae, it has a stiff spine at the rear end of its body that may help to deter predators. Hawk-moths have stout bodies and long, narrow wings that make them among the strongest fliers of all the butterflies and moths.