Death’s head hawk-moth found in Hampshire school garden
Children at Wicor Primary school are no stranger to an unusual plant. Last year the garden had a flowering ‘sheep-eating’ plant, Puya chilensis. This year they’ve been visited by the deaths head hawk-moth made famous by Silence of the Lambs. We think we spot a pattern!
School Horticulturalist Louise Moreton got in touch to tell us about the find;
“On a wet rainy September morning I was clearing away some potato plant composting and had a huge surprise. What appeared to be a mouse from the size and colour of its body and its high pitch ‘squeak’ was clearly not as it crept across the compost. It was a Death’s-Head hawk moth, a species which is native to northern Africa and southern Europe. Its beautiful markings resemble a skull on the top of its thorax and this gives the moth its dramatic name.
On further research by staff and children only a handful migrate to the UK each year, making this sighting both rare and very exciting!
Lots of children were able to observe Chianti the moth before its release and it has sparked many conversations and deeper learning about our natural world.”
Mark Wildman, headteacher said. “Seeing a rare creature is very special and needs to be savoured and appreciated. For many, this will be a once in a lifetime sighting and I for one never expected to see one.”
Butterfly Conservation’s head of science Prof Richard Fox said it was “always exciting” to spot the species in the UK.
He said the caterpillars, which can be found on potato plants, cannot survive British winters.
