Large moth

tagwex · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:11 am Post subject: Large moth

Found this in the kitchen over the weekend, 50 to 60mm from wing tip to wingtip. I think I know what it is but I will let you have a go first.

Sive · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 2:34 pm Post subject:

I thought at first that it was a hummingbird hawkmoth then checked my book and found it was an even bigger one called the poplar hawkmoth. What an impressive creature !

tagwex · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:47 pm Post subject:

You are on the right track Sive but not correct. When I seen it first I thought it was one of my bats!

Sive · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:26 pm Post subject:

I'm intrigued....your photo is a dead ringer for the photo of the Poplar Hawkmoth in my book ( Collins' Complete Irish Wildlife...a really good book to have by the way )
What do you think it is ?

tagwex · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:49 pm Post subject:

I was thinking of letting a few more people have a guess before I divulge the answer. I will give you a clue though, I have two photos and didn't put up the clearest one. The other shows the wings fully spread out.

Greengage · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:51 pm Post subject:

Emperor hawk moth

tagwex · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:51 pm Post subject:

No greengage.

tippben · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:09 pm Post subject:

I also think it is the Poplar Hawkmoth. You can see a little splash of red coloration showing on its left forewing. Laothoe populi.

mothman · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 10

Greengage · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 5:17 pm Post subject:

ok i cheated looks like a poplar hawk moth from Moths ireland

tagwex · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:06 pm Post subject:

Congrats to you tippben, first one in with the correct answer. Greengage you cheated! I was being devious hiding the red splash. I will put up the other photo later on when I get home. Mothman you are welcome to copy and paste to the national database.

Sive · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:38 pm Post subject:

ehum, was I not the first to get the name right ??? !!! Or did looking it up in a book disqualify me........... ? Or maybe it was the Latin that impressed you.....

tagwex · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:48 pm Post subject:

My deepest apologies Sive. I got the names mixed up in my head, when you first answered, correctly, I had the privet moth as the answer without consulting my book for the correct answer. Tippben you were a close second and greengage still cheated.

Sive · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:45 pm Post subject:

Thank you Tagwex ! You've got me interested in moths now.....I like the look of that Moths Ireland website. And we have far more species of moths than we do butterflies, so there's more to study and learn about.
You may have started something !

tagwex · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:14 pm Post subject:

No problem. You may turn nocturnal if you want to study them.