Over the past few weeks, there has been a major influx of Convolvulus Hawkmoths (Agrius convolvuli) in the UK, from all parts of the country with some sites recording double figures on particularly good nights! It is a migrant species, from southern Europe and northern Africa and the number of records in the UK differ from year to year. After failing all season to catch one in my own trap, and despite my best efforts hanging washing out overnight (the theory is that they are strangely attracted to the scent of washing powder) and checking what remained of the tobacco plants, I was failing. I felt left out.
On the morning of Sunday 18th September, as I wandered around Tesco, I received a gripping photo from a (non-mothing) friend, asking me to identify a large moth which was in their garden. It was a Convolvulus! I quickly finished up shopping and went round to see it. The irony of is that their garden is only two roads away from mine, so with the moth trap on the previous night I was blissfully unaware that there was a Convolvulus just 150 metres away! I fondled it for a while whilst taking some photos, and then placed it on a tree, where it was inconspicuously camouflaged out of the reach of any cats. Quite a pristine specimen, and by the next morning I was informed that it had gone, continuing its migration.
What a beast!
Happy moth-ing,
Max.
On the morning of Sunday 18th September, as I wandered around Tesco, I received a gripping photo from a (non-mothing) friend, asking me to identify a large moth which was in their garden. It was a Convolvulus! I quickly finished up shopping and went round to see it. The irony of is that their garden is only two roads away from mine, so with the moth trap on the previous night I was blissfully unaware that there was a Convolvulus just 150 metres away! I fondled it for a while whilst taking some photos, and then placed it on a tree, where it was inconspicuously camouflaged out of the reach of any cats. Quite a pristine specimen, and by the next morning I was informed that it had gone, continuing its migration.
What a beast!
Happy moth-ing,
Max.
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