Oh yes! An Elephant Hawk-moth.
Am feeling rather chuffed with this new garden tick especially as the only other hawk-moth I have trapped was a Lime Hawk-moth around this time last year.
According to "Bugs Britannica" by Peter Marren and Richard Mabey, the Elephant Hawk-moth gets its name from its caterpillar which has an extendable trunk which at its fullest extent resembles an elephant's trunk or so early entomologists thought. It is one of the few caterpillars that can swim and a popular nickname for the moth is "Pink Elephant".
I'll do a full post on the rest of the moths caught when I have completed the id process! There are certainly quite a few new ticks for the year.
6 comments:
saw a hawk moth yesterday but no idea WHAT it was. never stopped to take pic. so very well done.
I once got a photo of a hummingbird hawk moth
Thanks Pete. Would have loved to have known what you saw yesterday.
You did well to get a photo of humming bird hawk-moth. I live in hope they will visit my valerian flowers but I have only ever seen them once - years ago in Jersey.
A beautiful moth, terrific photos. we have about 65 species of hawk moths in Australia, but none with such delicate colouring.
Thanks so much Ian. Its without doubt the best moth I have trapped/found in the garden. Makes a change from the usual brown noctuids!
June 2014 found one on my kitchen plant this morning, this is the most beautiful moth I have ever seen��
Sonia Spall - They are totally stunning aren't they? Really beautiful. So glad you found one :)
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