Massive moth

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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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Florida
They're stunning looking things. Oddly I see loads of the caterpillars but I've only ever seen one or two adults.
Maybe that’s the way their reproduction works? Many, many larvae with only a few surviving to adulthood?
 
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Trencakey

Nomad
Dec 25, 2012
269
11
Cornwall
I get a few here in the garden,quite big but not 8" wingspan,more in the region of 2".My local forestry gets quite a few of the caterpillars as they feed on the Rosebay that grows there.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,438
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W.Sussex
8 inch wingspan? Centimetres I think. Most sites are quoting 60-85mm which is about right according to the few I’ve seen. We get them here on our chalkland as it favours Rosebay Willowherb, but it’s still a thrill to find one in the garden, I think they’re one of the most beautiful moths. Plant lots of Fucshias if you want to attract them.

The Convolvulus Hawk moth is palm sized. I remember one flying into the pub I was in one night and the barmaid running out the backdoor screaming about bats. They’re big.
 

woodspirits

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 24, 2009
4,209
903
West Midlands UK
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8 inch wingspan? Centimetres I think. Most sites are quoting 60-85mm which is about right according to the few I’ve seen. We get them here on our chalkland as it favours Rosebay Willowherb, but it’s still a thrill to find one in the garden, I think they’re one of the most beautiful moths. Plant lots of Fucshias if you want to attract them.

The Convolvulus Hawk moth is palm sized. I remember one flying into the pub I was in one night and the barmaid running out the backdoor screaming about bats. They’re big.

Your probably right, typically I can’t find the link I quoted from. Still impressive. :)
 
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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Cecropia and Polyphemus are the two big Saturnidae moths that we see in any abundance here.
Some years, it seems that the majority of larvae (caterpillars) are parasitized by wasps (Hymenoptera) or flies (Diptera).
Thus the pupating larvae ares incapable of eclosing as adult moths.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
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W.Sussex
Your probably right, typically I can’t find the link I quoted from. Still impressive. :)

They really are aren’t they? I’m always thrilled when I see one. The Hummingbird Hawk moth is another fascinating member of the family. Not my footage, I’m always too busy being amazed to go and get a camera.

 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,438
2,859
W.Sussex
Nice to see that, I found the one here on the floor so put it in a tree out of the way, gone the next day. Would have been good to see it on the wing

Or in the beak of a Thrush, hopefully after it had done its thing.:)

I was watching a Blackbird today trying to carry way to much in its beak and keep dropping the odd beetle or lose a worm. It didn’t give up until it had its wriggling load secure to go and feed the greedy chicks.
 

sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
They really are aren’t they? I’m always thrilled when I see one. The Hummingbird Hawk moth is another fascinating member of the family. Not my footage, I’m always too busy being amazed to go and get a camera.


No idea they existed much less ever seen one. Very cool video

As the camera pans around and the angle was right I kept thinking.....how is that not a bird? Lol
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
The big Saturnidae have a flip-flop, zig-zag flight that reminds me of bat flight.
They can accelerate and they are very fast when frightened.

We have a little one that attends the lilacs when they are freshly opened, in broad daylight.
Pigmented edges but otherwise transparent wings.

Any industrial buildings with security yard lights near you?
Go near sunrise and look at the walls near the lights.
Common roosting spots.
 

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