What people are saying...

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John M. Bloomfield - 26 August 2003

We have so many moths around, it would be good to more or less recognise them.

Matthew Mackie - 26 August 2003

Saw a Humming bird hawk moth the other day enjoying the geraniums on the windowsil of our second floor flat. I stood for several minutes as it fed only 12 inches away from me. Very interesting as I've never seen one before.

Pete Powell - 26 August 2003

One of our cats brought briefly into the house what is the biggest moth I've ever seen. It was a triangular shape and a body almost the size of my little finger. The wings were a plain tan colour and I didn't notice any distintive markings. It was just so remarkably large.

Miranda Campbell - 25 August 2003

Spotted what I now know was a hummingbird hawk moth in Carnaby, near Bridlington, Yorkshire. Thought it was an escapee hummingbird until a bird watching colleague solved the mystery. Will now keep an eye out for this fascinating creature.

Tara Shaw - 25 August 2003

I saw a creature yesterday evening in my granny's flowers at her house in Wareham, Dorset, that resembled a bird or giant bee. She then told me that it was a humming bird moth that she had seen a few days before. I have since found out that my neighbours see them all the time here in Dorchester.

Gill Parker - 25 August 2003

I saw what is possibly a humming bird hawk moth on honeysuckle in a garden in Ruardean Gloucestershire on 24th August 2003. However, looking at the specimans shown this was different, as it had a very pale grey head and body with a very distinctive bee cream/brown abdomen. It didn't land on the plant but just hovered, does anyone know if this is a humming bird hawk moth? Thank you.

FRY - 25 August 2003

24th AUG 1800HRS WHAT A SIGHT A HUMMING-BIRD HAWK MOTH WHAT A LOVELY MOTH ARE THESE MOTHS RARE !! 25TH HE\\'S BACK AGAIN (SIGHTED IN GARDEN HAYLING ISLAND HANTS )

David Dempsie - 25 August 2003

I was trying to identify a moth I spotted last night in Garmouth, North East Scotland, without success, The creature was 90 mm long and would assess the wingspan as being at least 90 mm too. It was a very distinctive & regular \"V\" shape when at rest on a fence post.

rorschach - 25 August 2003

this site is very good, well laid out and quite informative. I have just started to take an interest in moths, even though at one time they scared the hell out of me. the other day while at work dealing with a stack of cut and planed timber, i noticed what i thought was a flake of wood. on closer inspection i realised it was a moth......absolutely brilliant i thought. the camouflage (the main aspect of interest for me) was superb. from above it resembled a knot on the wood with dark and light patches, with the surface of the moth being a satin, almost glossy texture. I didn't have my digital camera with me so no pic...sorry anyway i'm trying to find this on the site...with no luck yet.......i'd love to know more about how the camouflage has evolved and works.

wkd - 25 August 2003

i dont know what it is but there is a giant moth in my kitchen i have taken some photos... if some one wants to contact me i will be pleased to show you
i am just really shocked if you have any information on it please let me know

Viv - 24 August 2003

Just found it and looking forward to browsing it in the future.

Trish Harris - 24 August 2003

A wonderfull creature made me rush out into the garden last year in August. I had never seen anything like it before.
I have just seen three of the same all hovering over the buzzy lizzies on the patio this year. A Google search redirected me to your site where I found out that they were Hummingbird Hawk Moths. I was interested to find out that many others in the south of England have had these lovely moths in their gardens this month. I live in Roydon on the Herts, Essex border.

A beautifully illustrated website that solved my mystery.

Algy brew - 24 August 2003

I live in Basingstoke in Hampshire, a couple of days ago saw a strange insect I know now to be the Hummingbird Hawkmoth, I am 57 and the first time I have ever seen one. Global warming? Saw it again today around the Buddlia, (Butterfly Bush) now have to rename it Moth bush. Thanks for your excellent site.

Bob Perry Farnborough Town Supporters Club - 24 August 2003

First visit to the site.Looks very interesting and hope to use it more in the future.

Graeme Brown - 23 August 2003

Wonderful site. Saw unusual moth (probably?) in our garden this afternoon. Identified it in about 2 minutes on your site. Lovely pictures - just like the Hummingbird Hawk-moth we saw but could not name earlier.

Katharine - 23 August 2003

Great site, lots of moths! Just What i need to identift a pretty green moth I saw this afternoon.

Oh my! 2400 sp. in uk; what hope have I? I know; buy a guide book. Find just the one, all about wiltshire (where I live), but what's that; just 959 sp. recorded. OhmygodOmygod!

I'll stick to the flora -it dosn't fly off!

John Thompson - 23 August 2003

Found the site after seeing an amazing moth (hummingbird hawk-moth) and needing to identify it. I have two truly fantastice pictures of it. If they may be of interest, I would be pleased to provide them. I am now hooked on moths, and will use the website to learn more.

andy paget - 23 August 2003

just found your web site to find out about this wonderfull insect which we obseverd in our garnden we now know that it is a humming bird hawk mouth we have lived in west sussex all our lives and never seen such a wonderous creature thank for such an informative web site .

Tony Smith - 23 August 2003

Enjoyed your site!-I have been a resident of Australia for some 39 years but the moths bought back many memeories of my youth in Shoreham-By-Sea Sussex were I collected & studied many of them using sugaring techniques on my dads fences on the warm evenings & raising many from larvae collected-we have many unusual species here including the famed Hercules moth from North Queensland that I was fortunate enough to have bred once while I lived there & many nice Hawks!-very informative & well designed site!

Sheila Drummond-Lay - 22 August 2003

We live in the Dordogne region of France and a few evenings ago a very large dark brown moth(we think) flew in to our sitting room. It was approximately 7cm long and 3.5cm across closed wing and with 10- 11 cm wing span. It also had tiger like markings on the head.In flight it appeared to have wing shapes similar to those of a dragon fly.

Can anyone help us identify what it may have been?

Many thanks. 22nd August 2003

kate hannon - 22 August 2003

I like your site. We have 5 death's head caterpillars currently pupating in a wooden box, rescued from the spud plot on our allotment! We have a short video clip(taken with a digital camera) of the caterpillars, if you'd like a copy. We'd also like to know how best to care for them and how long they'll pupate for, so if you've any info we'd be very grateful. Hopefully there will be future photos/footage of emerging adults...we'll let you know!

Alan Weaver - 22 August 2003

I have enjoyed your site, also I have been taking pictures of butterflies over the last two years and i have several very good ones of 6 spot burnets, a nice one of Mother Shipton and Yellow tail. Would you be interested.
Alan

Cath - 22 August 2003

Saw many hummingbird hawk-moths at Coton Manor Gardens (Northamptonshire) on Wed. 20th Aug, all on Red Valerian. We'd only ever seen them in southern France before.

Bek - 22 August 2003

The thumbnails were good, enabling me to find out more about the large moth which flew into my lounge one evening. It was the most colourful and largest moth I have ever seen. I discovered it was a red underwing and quite beautiful considering I am not partial to these night visitors!!!

Thank you for your informative site. I would like to know more about this moth though, like how many are estimated to be around Southern England etc.

mr kevin messingham - 21 August 2003

had my first sighting of a hummingbird moth in west sussex today 21 08 2003

Si?ny - 21 August 2003

OH DEAR! I'm in Belgium and we were eating dinner outside and there was this huge moth on the edge of the table. Not exaggerating - it was about 8cm wingspan and about 9cm long. It flew before we could take a photo! If anyone can help with details about it please email me. Thank you! :) x

Lucy Lord - 21 August 2003

I used this site to identify a huge caterpillar that I found in my garden last night - it turned out to be an Elephant Hawk Moth larva. I can definitely see where it gets its name from!
Also saw a Humming Bird Moth hovering around my honeysuckle a couple of days ago. Had seen one in South of France a couple of years ago, but first time I had seen one on these shores. What a treat!
I live in East Yorkshire.

Karen Cope - 20 August 2003

I saw these hummingbird moths two weeks ago in France and thought they were actually hummingbirds then today I saw one in my garden and had to find out what they really were. I live in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire.

Lynda Pert - 20 August 2003

I wanted to find out about the hummingbird Hawkmoth as I saw 3 hovering and feeding from flowers at Clovelly in Devon. They did look just like tiny hummigbirds and their wings vibrated at an astonishing rate. They are immigrants, but where from? I would love to know. I think this is a great website.

Ben Morgan - 20 August 2003

Thanks for a really handy site.
Wondered what it was I saw last night - now I know it was a hummingbird hawk moth...
What it was doing in the polluted centre of Brighton I have no ideas...

Keep up the good work

Cheers

Ben

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