Small Elephant Hawk-moth
I often encounter this night creature in the morning. I usually notice them resting at my plants after their night wandering. They have thick and hairy body, with unusually intensive colors for a moth.
This moth does not dance at night blinded with the lamps as many others do, this one is attracted by one other night magic.
Well, nothing unexpected… of course. Its all about flowers!
😊
But how can a night one find flowers to feed?
Its vision is so well developed that it sees colors even at night, what allows it to find flowers more easily, more nectar to feed.
I was particularly pleased when it made me a company one morning, in the orchard, on the stump, where I drink coffee, listening to the birds, following the sun rising above the hills slowly peering out of the high fir trees.
…
We call it ‘ljiljak vinove loze’ which would literally translated into English meant: Lily of the Grape Vine. Of course, the reason is that caterpillars of this butterfly feed on the leaves of vines. Nevertheless, they do not cause great damage in these areas, so people do not exterminate it.
As caterpillars rise in an attitude that reminds of the Sphinx, the whole family of these butterflies is named lat. Sphingidae. It is also interesting how the caterpillars of this family have a spike at the top of its back.
Small armed sphinxes that grow into beautifully painted butterflies!
😊
Thank you for your attention!
@andrijana
Very beautiful (for a moth). The colour and furry body...
Beautiful photos!
Beautiful night butterfly, she has a very interesting color.
They do not do much harm, because they are not enough.
So you need to be attentive to their quantity!
Thank you! :)
Yes, of course, that is the reason.
:-))
At least she is smaller than the ones we get, so as a caterpillar she is less destructive. Hawk moth caterpillars can really eat your plants to nothing.
Then it is good that there are not so many of them.