Attacked by a Giant Moth

OFDM

If there's any insect experts out there could you tell me what kind of moth this is - it got into the kitchen and almost savaged me?:

http://img147.echo.cx/img147/273/giantmoth3cr.jpg
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4702/giantmoth25yz.jpg
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1189/giantmoth38ie.jpg

It had a wingspan of at least 4 to 5 inches. A monster.

Rollo Tamasi

Jesus, Ugly looking fella anyways

Mr.Nice Guy

Looks to me like a Spinach moth:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinach_%28Moth%29

I found a picture:

http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/species.asp?item=5829

I'm probably wrong though.

Whatever it is, it looks very rare. I've never come across any moth like that before.

Maynard.

Did u smush it?

Tiffany

4-5 inch wingspan is much of an exaggeration, looks about 3cm to me.

TerrorFirmer

Thats a damn big moth.... :eek:

GOAT_BOY

Tiffany wrote:

4-5 inch wingspan is much of an exaggeration, looks about 3cm to me.

you can tell that from a picture?

TerrorFirmer

GOAT_BOY wrote:

you can tell that from a picture?

Well, you can if you look at the piece of advertisement its resting on. Its definately not remotely near 5 inches, but its still a scary and big looking thing.

I'd run away in fear if I saw it. And prob return with a vaccum.

athena 2000

Wow! That looks like a variety of Sphinx moth. They are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds. We have them flying around the mimosa trees sipping nectar at times.

http://www.insects.org/entophiles/lepidoptera/lepi_039.html

LegacyUser

that's one big moth

fischerspooner

and I thought my moth was fat!!!

AdMMM

Jesus christ you can even see its mouth in the first one! Hope you smushed it good over that Lidl advertisement!

The Gnome

It's like that thing Mothra. Where's Godzilla when you need him or Megazilla even.

Töpher

Was that in Ireland?!

steviec

Grrr I was looking at the first picture when a fly flew past my ear and I nearly jumped outta my seat.

I hate moths.

Gilgamesh

WOW!!! three years garantee on a Popcorn machine, cool stuff,
oh, yeah, the moth is cool too, hehe

c - 13

Seen one of those mofo's a couple of years ago, f**kin huge things, insects and that in general dont bother me but the sheer size of the b*stard is unnerving.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Kevin_rc_ie

OFDM there's a smell of photoshop off that picture. can you please post another picture of it? place a euro coin beside it please. i'd be really interested if it's real.

or have you binned it? or did it not exist?

qz

Are you serious Kevin_rc_ie?

RedRaven

OFDM wrote:

If there's any insect experts out there could you tell me what kind of moth this is - it got into the kitchen and almost savaged me?:

http://img147.echo.cx/img147/273/giantmoth3cr.jpg
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4702/giantmoth25yz.jpg
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1189/giantmoth38ie.jpg

It had a wingspan of at least 4 to 5 inches. A monster.

Attacked by a giant moth!!!!

Yeah that happened to me before,I just arrived in Tramco in rathmines went up to the bar and this moth attacked me- she must have been at least 6'3"- jumped right on me started to slobber all over me- thought Iwas gonna die- she was hammered!!!!

Oriel

Eat it.

Kevin_rc_ie

qz wrote:

Are you serious Kevin_rc_ie?

i actually am... woe is me.

TerrorFirmer

Its so huge, it probably let itself in your front door.

NotMe

Damn one of my new breed of evil super moth escaped. Curses!

OFDM

Ok here's a pic i just took of the Lidl ad I placed the moth on with a ruler:
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3339/giantmothruler3bz.jpg

Compare with:
http://img31.echo.cx/img31/1189/giantmoth38ie.jpg

That makes the wingspan about 8cm/3.1 inches, not quite what I thought but still impressive.

I didn't kill it, I trapped it and when I went to release it outside it wouldn't get off the Lidl ad - it just sat there. That's how i got the photos. I put it in a bucket out the back but it was gone when I checked earlier.

Sarky

I misread the title and thought you were being attacked by a giant goth.

I think that would have been far scarier.

Eoin

Kevin_rc_ie wrote:

OFDM there's a smell of photoshop off that picture.

Off topic, but what does "OFDM" mean? These acronyms are getting confusing, have to google half the stuff on boards these days.

Kevin_rc_ie

that;s the original posters name! don;t know what it means

Eoin

Kevin_rc_ie wrote:

that;s the original posters name! don;t know what it means

Sorry Kevin, I thought it was the new "tbh" :rolleyes:

tabatha

i had one of these monsters out my back garden a few days ago.....nearly jumped out of my skin! i was wondering what it was, i though it was like a humming bird alright but i knew that it was some kind of insect. never want to see one again either i can tell you. notice how it has little teeth like things on the end of its feelers.....yuck!

derek27

thats an impressive moth. you could report that sighting to the irish wildlife board, i'm sure they'd really appreciate it. it looks to me like either a hummingbird-hawkmoth or a HGSphinx. they are becoming more common in countries our latitude usually confined to regions down south. as such they are being monitored and the number of sightings is going up all the time. perhaps the area you are in has a higher number of them. would you consider setting up a simple moth trap some evening (simply a white sheet draped over a stick with a white light underneath, set up in a dark grassy area, which will attract moths from very far away) to see if you observe other rare species?

netwhizkid

Originally Posted by MobileInfantry
Well, you can if you look at the piece of advertisement its resting on. Its definately not remotely near 5 inches, but its still a scary and big looking thing. I'd run away in fear if I saw it. And prob return with a vaccum.

Um, you don't really live up to your nick do you ? I've never heard of the mobileinfantry being afraid of a little moth !

Originally Posted by Mr.Nice Guy
Looks to me like a Spinach moth:

I just eats my spinach i'm popeye the scary moth

I let the light on out side the front door for 30mins a few evenings ago and i mistakingly then left the door open for like 10mins as the fan wasn't working and the house was roasting, the whole bloody house filled with these little critters ! It an old wives tale that you should never kill a moth, and that they are a sign of money on the way !

simu

Yarr! Tharr be one fine mothey!

Kevin_rc_ie

i'm almost certin i've seen this moth in a shop as a cuddly toy. probably freak a lot of kids out thou. i still don't think it's real. i don't know if all you guys are joking, it is real or it's fake. damn you.

AdMMM

Its real tbh

Kevin_rc_ie

i don't beleive you.

tabatha

well all i can tell u is that i DID see one. the reason i thought it was a humming bird at first was the way it was flying. then i got a little closer and noticed it was an insect of some sort. it was only when i seen the photo that i knew what it was. i can tell u that i wont be setting up any traps of anysort as i dont ever want to see one again! another thing, if moths are a sign of money i must be going to win the euro millions after seeing one this big!

muckwarrior

derek27 wrote:

it looks to me like either a hummingbird-hawkmoth or a HGSphinx.

I think this guys right. There was a few hoors ringin up gerry ryan the other week about giant moths that looked like humming birds and this was the answer they got.

Cormic

On a similar note. I was sitting in my garden yesterday and a large flying insect flew past me. It was about one and a half inches long, with black and orange stripes. It also a V shaped tail. It hung around for a few minutes before flying off.

Does anyone know what it was?

mad m

Where is Agent Starling when you need her hey!....

Dub13

I just took a quick look at your photos and I have to say it looks very like a Progressive Democrat.Maybe he or she is lost,just stand on it and get it over and done with.

scorpy

it's fat and fluffy and absolutely terrifying. of course, at least moths are nicer than stinging things.

Mothman

Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=28

Common and widespread. They don't even feed as adults, though I admit the first photo does seem to depict a mouth.

Moths are often attracted to light and this is the main method of recording moths, by using a UV light over a box.

I had 12 of this species in a trap couple mornings ago. When I saw my first one in flight I thought it was a bat!

The reason it didn't fly off is that most large moth species (and large dragonflies) need to warm up their wing muscles first. This they do by vibrating the muscles and the wings can be seen quivering. They may need to do this for some minutes before take off.

BossArky

In the first pic that thing looks like a cross between a koala head, spider legs, pigeon wings, and bomber aircraft belly.

My ears have that itchy sensation that comes from imagining there are some bugs close by.

aidan_walsh

If I wasn't so crap with Photoshop, that moth would be flying away with a cow now...

OFDM

derek27 wrote:

thats an impressive moth. you could report that sighting to the irish wildlife board

The what now?

One of them had been flying around a few nights ago so I'll see if I can capture another tonight.

Good info there Mothman.

Kevin_rc_ie

how do you intend on capturing it?

drdre

thats one big motherfcuker. thank god you are still alive:D

Repli

I would have captured it and made it compete against a wasp or something.. that would be cool

Rollo Tamasi

eoin_s wrote:

Sorry Kevin, I thought it was the new "tbh" :rolleyes:

lol, i thought that also. WTF are the chances of that? 1 in 9 i'd imagine or some other similiar fraction.







rofl