Tuesday, June 18, 2013

popular picture

This handsome and chubby moth is the poplar hawk moth. Normally it flies at night and rests up during the day. The flashes of red brown at the base of the hind wing are characteristic, as is the generally pale brown grey colour of the fore wings. This moth trembled a lot presumably as a defence display, and it was happy to fly off when finally released. It also has the unusual habit of holding its hindwings in front of its fore wings when at rest as can be seen below. It is the commonest of our hawk moths. Although it has a proboscis, the adults do not feed.

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