Hummingbird
Hawk-moth Macroglossum
stellatarum (Linnaeus, 1758)  |
Status
.....Once regarded as being rare, the Hummingbird
Hawk-moth has become an increasingly regular migrant to Nottinghamshire
over recent years. Records tend to peak in August and September,
following earlier arrival of the first moths in June or early July, with
the flowers of Red Valerian being a great attractant to this day-flying
moth.
There is opinion from some quarters, that the Hummingbird
Hawk-moth is now overwintering and breeding in Nottinghamshire now (at
least some years) but we believe this to be extremely unlikely, although
odd examples have certainly passed the Winter in Nottinghamshire.
The accompanying
graph is produced from our own 95 records up to 2014 and
is typical of good 'Hummer' years, showing that the first moths can
be expected to arrive in June or early July. Peak
numbers of return migrants move through from early to
mid-August depending on the arrival dates of the first migrants
and continue through to the first week of October. |
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| Photographed
at Market Warsop July 16th 2010 |
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| Photographed
at Market Warsop September 12th 2014 |
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| Photographed
at Eakring village September 21st 2006 |
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Early stages |
| Ovae,
photographed on Lady's Bedstraw at Market Warsop July 2023. |
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| 3rd
instar larva. Photographed on Lady's Bedstraw July 2022. |
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| 4th
instar larva. Photographed July 2022. |
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| 5th
instar larvae. Ground colouration is variable, ranging from olive, green
through to pinkish brown. Photographed July 2022. |
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