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Death's Head Hawk Moth (1 Viewer)

Geraldine

Martian Member
(See Ivan's great photo on Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory thread.)
We went over there today and saw this wonderful moth. I've waited most of my life for that. I saw a picture when I was about six, and have wanted to see one ever since.
It was a perfect specimen, they said female, they are releasing it tonight. It was waiting next to one of the traps.
It was so solid and sturdy looking. Strong wings, with velvety markings in rust and blue-grey and purplish-black. Blue-grey body as thick as my finger, with orange sides, matching the orange of the underwings. White and gold rings on the legs, and hooks. Huge black eyes.
I know! There's a photo! I just need to talk about it!o:D
 
This photo is not as sharp as I hoped but i'll post it in this thread as well just to save you clicking around!

Ivan
 

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WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is GORGEOUS!!!!!Words are not adequate to describe her!!!! I think I would die happy to see one of those!!!! Wonder if we get them up here in the North-East? Probably not...but I'll look into it. Wonder if there is anything I can plant into the garden which would attract them???
I can TOTALLY understand what you mean when you say you have waited since the age of six to see one...i'll bet you were as high as a kite!!! Have you come back down to earth yet??? I really do feel sorry for folks who take drugs to feel high...if they just looked around at the natural world they would get far more of a buzz!!! It's not as damaging to the body but it certainly IS addictive!!! And I certainly don't want to be detoxed!!!
 
A fabulous insect, it's a pity they're so rare nowadays. I believe in some areas they used be something of a pest on potato crops, but now that there are more potent insecticides the Death's Head has suffered because of them.
I expect one or two still breed here, but the vast majority of specimens are migrants from the continent, like the chap below that was caught here on Friday night (another Convolvulous Hawkmoth).
 

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That's it! I'm right into Hawk Moths now! That's lovely, CJW!
Gill, I've decided every time the potatoes in the veg-rack sprout, I'm going to take them with me on walks, with a trowel, and plant them randomly all over the countryside, in a bid to bring back the Deaths Head Hawk Moth. Oh, and I think a 'Bring Back The Death's Head Hawk Moth' T-shirt as well, don't you? Or do you think that might be a little over-the-top?
 
Cracking photo again Chris, you would have been dribbling looking at the contents of the moth traps Sunday, it would have taken me a week to ID about half of them correctly ;)
 
what a stunning moth- congrats on the sighting. I can't help but think of the movie "silence of the lambs" :) This moth has been discussed on a US moth-list as of late, where UK members have shared their excitement in their sightings.. it has been rumored to have been documented in North Carolina fairly recently (blown here from Africa by Isabel? who knows?)
Geraldine, I have read where they have a characteristic "powerful squeeking noise" when prodded to fly. Did you get to hear it squeak?
Thanks for sharing the image :)

Cindy
 
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A brilliant moth and thanks for reproducing the picture on this thread I too have been wanting to see one all my life that and the HBHM. Keep up the good work Geraldine if I see a lady with a 56lb bag of potatoes on her back and a trowel I will recognise you.
 
Hi Cindy,
We didn't hear it squeak, in spite of all the efforts of the guys at Sandwich Bay Observatory, which included playing recordings at close range of an avocet call from a fluffy model avocet that they had on sale!
Incidently, aren't those RSPB fluffy birds with built in recordings of actual bird calls excellent as a teaching aid! I am very slow to recognise bird calls, but can now recognise all the birds I have by their calls.
I've found, in telling people about the Deaths Head, that they've looked blank until I've said, "On the Silence of the Lambs" video, then they go, "Oh, Yes!" I suppose it did something positive then!
Hi Bob,
I may have to get a wheelbarrow, what with the dog biscuits, bird seed, peanuts, and now potatoes! I, too, am still waiting for a HBHM. We get quite a few sightings round here. The Deaths Head was so worth waiting for! I'm now counting the years until I see my second!
 
Geraldine, don't forget the portable generator, collapsible traps and electrics, jamjars full of sugar solution (and paint brushes to apply it), coils of rope soaked in wine etc etc......this is going to be some wheelbarrow!
 
And honey! Apparently Deaths Heads like honey, as everyone kept saying, while the Hawk Moth stood and listened hopefully. Then they would say, "But I haven't got any," and the Hawk Moth would sigh, wistfully!
 
I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think you'll ever see another. They're that rare nowadays. Still, a great memory to have.
 
I never give up hope, CJW, but I will never forget seeing that one.
Are there parts of the world where they still flourish?
 
I would expect wherever on the continent they grow potatoes with less aggressive pesticides? I don't really know for sure Geraldine, but I think there's a healthy population throughout France.
 
It's a shame we are so obsessed with spraying everything these days. They even spray with weed killer along the outside edges of all the garden walls in Dover, thus killing off all the lovely little self-seeded oxalis, violets, feverfew and ferns that I am happy to see there, and causing possible harm to any insect, animal or bird who sniffs or pecks there.
Everything we eat has to look perfect, as if it never grew in the ground or on a tree. When I was young, you picked and ate an apple, but watched out for maggots, then ate the rest of the apple.
And yet, because the general public didn't know they were doing it, they can do something obsene like feeding other animal offal to cattle, who were never supposed to eat meat anyway, and thus cause BSE.
 
Sorry CJW. It just makes me cross, when I see something like that Deaths Head Hawk Moth, think of the amount of potatoes we grow in England every year, and I've had to wait 50 years to see that beautiful creature.
 
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