Barbary Spurge Hawkmoth (Hyles tithymali tithymali)

Nocturnal moth with a large wingspan (54-70 mm) and one of the commonest species in the islands, it thrives in areas where Euphorbia communities grow, from sea level to montane regions. The female lays 8-10 greenish eggs, each producing one caterpillar, which keeps the same appearance and colouring throughout its development, until it reaches 80 mm in length. At this stage, the caterpillar leaves the plant and buries itself in shallow soil for the next stage of pupation. This is a native subspecies present throughout the Canaries, with the exception of El Hierro and Fuerteventura, where other Palearctic subspecies are found (H. t. phaelipae and H. t. deserticola, respectively).