Moths & butterflies known to feed on black poplar (Populus nigra):

Species Status Match
The sprawler
Asteroscopus sphinx
Vulnerable any Populus species
Scarce chocolate-tip
Clostera anachoreta
Vulnerable any Populus species
Pale brindled
Phigalia pilosaria
Vulnerable any Populus species
Pale eggar
Trichiura crataegi
Vulnerable any Populus species
The sallow
Cirrhia icteritia
Near Threatened any Populus species
Large thorn
Ennomos autumnaria
Near Threatened any Populus species
The miller
Acronicta leporina
LC any Populus species
Scarce umber
Agriopis aurantiaria
LC any Populus species
The brick
Agrochola circellaris
LC any Populus species
Yellow-line quaker
Agrochola macilenta
LC any Populus species
Twin-spotted quaker
Anorthoa munda
LC any Populus species
Dingy shears
Apterogenum ypsillon
LC any Populus species
Peppered moth
Biston betularia
LC any Populus species
Common wave
Cabera exanthemata
LC any Populus species
Clifden nonpareil
Catocala fraxini
LC any Populus species
Red underwing
Catocala nupta
LC this species
Puss moth
Cerura vinula
LC any Populus species
Pale-lemon sallow
Cirrhia ocellaris
LC this species
Chocolate-tip
Clostera curtula
LC any Populus species
Small chocolate-tip
Clostera pigra
LC any Populus species
Feathered thorn
Colotois pennaria
LC any Populus species
No common name
Cossonus parallelepipedus
Not assessed this species
Goat moth
Cossus cossus
LC any Populus species
No common name
Dorytomus ictor
Not assessed this species
Bordered beauty
Epione repandaria
LC this species
The satellite
Eupsilia transversa
LC any Populus species
Poplar kitten
Furcula bifida
LC any Populus species
Sallow kitten
Furcula furcula
LC any Populus species
The triangle
Heterogenea asella
LC any Populus species
July highflyer
Hydriomena furcata
LC any Populus species
Double kidney
Ipimorpha retusa
LC this species
The olive
Ipimorpha subtusa
LC any Populus species
Weaver beetle
Lamia textor
DD this species
Poplar hawk-moth
Laothoe populi
LC any Populus species
White satin moth
Leucoma salicis
LC this species
The seraphim
Lobophora halterata
LC this species
Clouded border
Lomaspilis marginata
LC any Populus species
Pebble prominent
Notodonta ziczac
LC any Populus species
Common quaker
Orthosia cerasi
LC this species
Powdered quaker
Orthosia gracilis
LC this species
Lead-coloured drab
Orthosia populeti
LC this species
Swallow prominent
Pheosia tremula
LC any Populus species
December moth
Poecilocampa populi
LC any Populus species
Pale prominent
Pterostoma palpina
LC any Populus species
Coxcomb prominent
Ptilodon capucina
LC any Populus species
Small poplar borer
Saperda populnea
LC this species
The herald
Scoliopteryx libatrix
LC any Populus species
Hornet moth
Sesia apiformis
LC this species
Lunar hornet
Sesia bembeciformis
LC this species
Eyed hawk-moth
Smerinthus ocellata
LC any Populus species
Poplar grey
Subacronicta megacephala
LC this species
Figure of eight
Tethea ocularis
LC this species
Poplar lutestring
Tethea or
LC any Populus species
Pink-barred sallow
Xanthia togata
LC any Populus species

Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.