Convolvulus Hawkmoth
Agrius convolvuli

Found here mainly in late summer and autumn.

May turn up anywhere, especially in gardens.

September offers the best chance to see this spectacular migrant. While not the rarity it once was, its huge size always attracts attention with many sightings coming from the general public.

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Red-green Carpet
Chloroclysta siterata

Flight period from September to October, then again in spring.

Inhabits woodland and scrub.

The sexes of this moth have very different lifespans. Mating takes place in Autumn, and all males then die. The female hibernates and does not begin to lay until well into the spring. Some survive into July, making this arguably our longest lived moth.

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Vapourer
Orgyia antiqua

Flight period in Highland late August into October.

May be found in woods, moorland and gardens.

Males fly actively on sunny days, often at treetop height, in search of mates. The sole activity of the flightless female is to cover the outside of her cocoon with eggs. The hairy caterpillars hatch in spring and are soon dispersed by wind and may end up almost anywhere.

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Centre-barred Sallow
Atethmia centrago

Flight period from late August to September.

Inhabits woodland, parkland.

This is perhaps the most colourful of the various "sallow moths", patterned like autumn leaves, though in fact it feeds on ash. With a Mediterranean / Atlantic coast distribution, it reaches its northernmost limit in our area.

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Herald
Scoliopteryx libatrix

Flight period from September to October, then again in spring.

Found in woodland and sallow carr.

This colourful moth heralds the arrival of autumn proper, then of spring after passing the winter in hibernation. It prefers ripe berries to nectar, piercing them with its proboscis to suck the juice.

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