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Westacre Farm,
Sampford Courtenay
Okehampton, Devon
EX20 2SE

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Anyone who dismisses all moths as boring little br

Anyone who dismisses all moths as boring little brown things hasn’t yet discovered the bubblegum beauty of the Elephant Hawk Moth (Deilephila elpenor). Its candy floss pink and golden green colouration is intense and undeniably unique, like something you’d expect to see in the tropics. Our moth expert volunteers caught one of these beautiful specimens whilst trapping at the weekend on our farm.

The moth feeds on the nectar from honeysuckle (Lonicera), which is abundant in our hedgerows at the moment. The caterpillar feeds predominantly on Rosebay Willowherb, found often in woodland clearings and verges. The adult moth spends the day resting amongst the caterpillar food plant, which has blushing pink flowers and green foilage and its unique colouring enables appropriate camouflaging as well as being appealing to potential amorous suitors.

The caterpillar looks like an elephant’s trunk, hence the name of the moth. It also has enormous eyespots to deter predators. The moth itself is common but you would be unlikely to spot it without setting up a moth trap.

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