Large black moth

[Floe 10]

A large black moth flew into the house yesterday evening. I thought it was a bat, at first, but it was a moth...about 3 inches across. I caught it and set it free.

I have tried to identify it today and the nearest I can find is the Black Witch Moth. However, this is a native of North America!

Any ideas? Could it have escaped from a moth/butterfly farm locally?

[roger 10]

where was this as my lad and missis saw something similar last night on their garden they are in s5

[wolverine 10]

Its very funny you guys should say this but I found a quite large black moth in one of our bedrooms last night. Not sure of the size, but it was the biggest one I have seen.

 

Edit: I live at Killamarsh by the way

Edited August 18, 2011 by wolverine
Location added

[levisage 10]

Same thing happened to me a few weeks back! At first I thought it was a bat. Scared the hell out of me.

 

They are actually Poplar hawk moths, and I believe they are fairly common (or becoming so).

 

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=poplar+hawk+moth&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1440&bih=722

[julie.beck 10]

Hope I never see one I am terrified of moths and butterflies

[*RTC* 10]

We just had one fly in just before that downpour and it was HUGE! My wife is not the best at staying calm and was just screaming until I opened the window and ushered it out!

[FatDave 11]

I wouldn't let their origin rule out what it might have been.

When I used to work for a living it was in a spring facrory in Barnsley, and we regularly saw dragon flies the size of my hand which came off the lorries from Spain, Africa, and further.

[Floe 10]

Thanks, Levisage, but I'm afraid it looked nothing like that and exactly like the Black Witch Moth filmed in Florida on Youtube. The wings were full and roundly shaped, not split like the Google images you have shown. Also the body was slim. We'll have to think again...

[medusa 16]

I've currently got a huge black moth sitting (inconspicuously!) on my white bathroom ceiling. I'd go and take a photo of it for comparison if I hadn't killed my camera by killing my phone on Monday.

[WasThatWise 10]

Looking at a guide I have there aren't that many, Old Lady seems most likely with Muslin Ermine a possibility but cannot find info on habitat, rarity, time of year and part of country etc

[Guest]

Did it look like this or this?

[medusa 16]

I think that mine is a Peppered Moth, but I'll have to go and get a ladder to get a better look at it (since it's a long way up).