Poplar Hawk-moth

A momentary pause beside the visitor lodge at Compton Verney left us wide-eyed at this beautifully formed, if common moth. A Poplar Hawk-moth by name, or Laothoe populi.

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It was spotted on May 20th as it rested, blending in with the wooden doorframe. Its appearance at Compton Verney shouldn’t be a complete surprise, as with a little further investigation, it appears our nearby stand of Poplar trees, just beyond our car park is the main host plant for the species!

Wikipedia Link Poplar Hawk-moth

UKMoths Link – Poplar Hawk-moth