A hitchhiker's guide to the moth-ery

I haven't seen this before: a moth so brazenly choosing to perch on another, like a stowaway on an aircraft, or indeed a spare fuel tank at the tip of a jet plane's wing. I must settle down and identify the micro involved. Its host is one of the Elephant Hawkmoths which come every night to the trap at the moment.

We didn't get as far as take-off because my camera strap slipped and flicked the passenger off; a shame, because I would like to see how long the little moth managed to cling on as the bigger one whirred its wings in readiness for flight. Considering how many moths arrive at the moment, it is also interesting how few cuddle up together like this, apart from the 'Everyone wants to snuggle with a White Ermine' phenomenon mentioned a couple of posts back.

There are lots of familiar faces among the eggboxes at the moment, such as the Spectacle above (with genuinely rose-tinted specs if you look closely) and the Pebble and Pale Prominents shown below. I was also pleased from the colour palette point of view to see the Brimstone moth which follows; but yellow isn't its only attraction.

Look closely and you'll see a pair of blue eyes, as appealing as those in Thomas Hardy's novel of the same name. I've zoomed in as close as I can and I hope you like the results.