My birthday’s in October, so having purchased a moth light trap with birthday money last year, the trap is only now beginning to come into its own.
After a few dull brown moths and the occasional slightly more interesting specimen during the earlier months of the year, it was with some excitement that we finally had our first hawk moth this week, in mid-June.
So I promptly enjoyed taking these pics before releasing it on to the honeysuckle at the bottom of our garden, where I hoped it might feed when dusk fell that evening.
Such incredible colours Nature has given to these creatures.
Keeping the Elephant Hawk and a few other moths company in the trap that morning was a Cockchafer.
Not unusual for a Maybug, as it’s also known, to be attracted to light, but it’s a handsome hunk of a beetle, with these striking, fan-like antennae…
and I have to admit I’m rather proud of these two head-on pics in particular.
(All photos taken by me, but not copyright – i.e. feel free to use them, with my blessing!)
Spirit of Nature 