The caterpillar of a rare migrant moth ordinarily found in Africa has been discovered in Gloucestershire, Butterfly Conservation (BC) can reveal.
The Death’s-head Hawk-moth caterpillar is lime green and blue in colour and can grow up to 12 and a half centimetres long. The black and yellow adult moth is a bat-sized giant that is rarely seen in the UK and was last recorded in Gloucestershire in 1983. The recent caterpillar sighting is the first in the county for ten years.
Sue Smith, Chair of BC’s Gloucestershire Branch, said: “This is an extremely rare find for the county given that the last time this unusual caterpillar was seen here was in 2005 and only four were recorded before 2000.”
The caterpillar was discovered at Saul Junction by the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal last month and will mostly likely be the result of eggs laid by the few early spring arrivals of the Death’s-head Hawk-moth, a species which cannot survive our winters.
The moth, which has a skull-like marking on its head, has haunted British literature, art and folklore for centuries and is traditionally seen as an omen of death. It appears as a prophecy of doom in Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native and an ill-advised love token in William Holman Hunt’s 1851 painting The Hireling Shepherd.
The Death’s-head was even rumoured to be a tormentor of King George III, who in 1801 was thrown into one of his infamous bouts of ‘madness’ when two large moths were discovered in his London bedchambers. More recently, a stylised version of the moth has featured on posters advertising the 1991 horror film The Silence of the Lambs.
Sue added: “The caterpillar of this fascinating moth can grow quite 
large and their spikey-looking tail can appear intimidating, but they are completely harmless to people and animals. Its appearance is a short-lived but completely natural phenomenon and they are extremely difficult to find, so to see one is a moment to treasure. If anyone else spots one in Gloucestershire, please let Butterfly Conservation know.”
Sightings of the adult Death’s-head Hawk-moth and its caterpillar are still being reported to the wildlife charity from other parts of the UK.
If you see one, please email the details to @email.