Friday 12 June 2009

Alien Invasion?


Can anyone identify this moth which we found outside Penguin Towers this morning - photograph hardly does it justice, very chunk body, strong "Vulcan Bomber" wings, purple-red and green colouring.

Never seen one before.

The Penguin

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

looks like an Elephant Hawk Moth

http://www.habitas.org.uk/bnfc/images/Elephant_Hawk_Moth.jpg

Hacked Off said...

Thanks @12.08, looks just like that!

RantinRab said...

Big hairy moths give me the willies. Horrible! Going by the size of it I would say its a behe moth!

Anonymous said...

It's a chav moth, it's got Burberry colours on.

wv= frimat, a dyslexic mathematician?

microdave said...

More sweepback than a Vulcan. Looks more like your favourite Mach 2+ fighter jet!

panavia999 said...

I love the comments from everyone! Thank you for my morning laugh. Here in California we have very pretty Cecropia moths. http://www.naturemoncton.org/images/Cecropia%20Moth.JPG

When they crawl on your hand, the little hooks on their feet are creepy. I'd rather let my tarantula walk on me.

Wellington Dave said...

Saw the same brand of moth on a spanish ship last year. I know what you mean about the photo not doing justice, they are huge and awesome beasts.

I think you need a pilots licence to own one though, so expect a call from the CAA any time now.

Anonymous said...

it not only looks like an elephant hawk moth, it is one. the caterpillars feed on rosebay willowherb, and look like an elpehant's trunk.

to bombay
a travelling circus came,
they brought an intelligent mo-o-oth
Deilephila elpenor was her naaaame....