Big Pink

For a few nights in the run-up to the recent flood, whenever the weather looked suitable we set up the moth trap in the back garden, which is very close to the Radipole reserve. Some nights were more productive than others, depending on the weather, but a couple of attempts gave us a few interesting specimens to pick out from the catch. Some of them one might dismiss on first sight as obscure “little brown jobs”, and indeed they aren’t the easiest to put a name to. Nevertheless, on close examination there’s usually something to admire in the subtle detail of their markings. However I was looking for particular a splash of colour which I hadn’t seen since last summer and we had the good fortune to find it in a recent haul: this charmer, the Elephant Hawk-moth.

These moths are widespread in Britain and can be seen from May to August. Their caterpillars’ main foodplants are bedstraws and willowherbs - plants that are among the variety encouraged to flourish at Radipole through the management of the verges, and which are now coming into bloom. Several of the hawk-moths are named after the food of their larvae, eg. the Privet Hawk-moth and Lime Hawk-moth. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with this species, otherwise we’d be talking about an extraordinarily hungry caterpillar and a very messy nature reserve.

These moths are always quite docile and perch happily on your hand for a while. As I admired it in the evening light, its vibrating wings suggested blast-off was imminent and it eventually took flight into next door’s shrubbery.