h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In the last four days I have had two giant moths visit my house and garden during the day. I think that they maybe Privet Hawk Moths but are not sure.

They have a five in wing span, brown in colour and wing tip to wing tip if about two to three inches.

Can anyone help to id these moths and let me know the reason why they are appearing in my garden. One thing my neighbour had a large tree taken down just recently and I wonder if it has anything to do with that.

Lily4pads, I have just read your message about the Giant Moths (July 9th 2006). Obviously nobody was inspired enough to reply (forums aren't like real life, ay!). I found your message because my children & I have 8 chrysali from these moths in the meat-safe, buried in bowls of dry soil, with an 18" twig in each bowl for the moths to climb if & when they emerge. They are Hawk Moths. Most likely Privet Hawk Moths. They 'hatch' when the weather starts to properly warm up; so July would be right. My son noticed today that 3 of the chrysali have come to the surface. They do that by twitching about and we reckon they are getting ready to emerge; so we have put in a bowl of cotton wool soaked in honey solution, for them to get their strength up when they do. They are nocturnal (otherwise they would soon be gobbled up by garden birds!). That's why they aren't familiar to most people. Around August/September they lay eggs which develop into impressive 3" green caterpillars, with black & white diagonal stripes on their sides and an impressive curved spike on their rear. After 4 - 6 weeks troughing on Privet, Fuschia & other leaves, they turn into chrysali, bury themselves and the cycle goes on - nothing to do with your neighbour's felled tree! Regards, Paul (I only learned some of this the hard way. Looked the rest of it up).