As with almost every other life-form on the planet, butterflies (17,500 species) and moths (163,000species) are under real pressure. Around the world many species have become extinct; as always the biggest reason is habitat destruction, which means that once again the finger of blame has to be pointed at human activity. Forms of life that can be traced back in the fossil record over 400 million years are threatened by a species that in perhaps just 10,000 years has grown to exert a very dangerous form of control over much of the environment.
Pictured here is the Death’s Head Hawkmoth, common around the Mediterranean, North Africa and the European continent, but rare in Ireland. Recently there have been sightings from Cork City to Inishowen Peninsula, Co. Donegal. One must suspect that the warming climate is bringing it to pastures new. It is a most distinctive moth, with that extraordinary skull design on the back of its thorax giving rise to superstition that seeing the moth was a potent of death or serious misfortune. The Death’s Head Hawk-moth cannot feed from flowers because of the shape of its proboscis, so it instead raids beehives and uses its strong little tongue to stab into waxy cells and feed on the honey.
Their distinctive streamlined bodies make them very quick fliers, reaching 30 mph (hence the name hawk-moth), and the larvae (caterpillars) feed on potato, deadly nightshade, verbena and olive plants. An endearing feature is that when threatened the moth will give out a totally unexpected loud squeaking noise to deter predators. Local entomologists are hoping to establish whether it is present in Tipperary. Have you seen it? Pictures will be most welcome. It is a very large moth, with a body 2.5 inches long and a wingspan of 4-5.5 inches, likes cultivated and lowland. If you keep bees you might be lucky enough to see one. Please let us know.
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