The Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moth photographed below was found today, Monday 7th May at Kilbrandon Cottages, Balvicar, Isle of Seil.
Description: In flight the adult of this species resembles a large bumblebee. It has clear wings with darker borders that are narrower than the similar but more widespread Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth H. fuciformis.
The latter species is also distinguished by a reddish or maroon band on
the wings which is black on the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth.
The name Hemaris comes from the Greek hemera, meaning ‘the day’,
referring to the day-flying behaviour of the moth. Tityus was a
giant in Roman mythology, perhaps testament to the relatively
large size of this species. The species was formerly widely
recorded in the UK but has undergone a substantial decline.
Most recent records are from southern and south-west
England, but it has been reported elsewhere including
East Anglia, parts of Wales and the Scottish Highlands.
Foodplants : The larvae feed most often on Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis), but also on Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria) and Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis).
Habitat : The moth is a species of open grassland and open areas in and adjacent to woodland. It is particularly associated with the damp ‘culm’ grasslands of south-west England, damp moorland, marshland and wet heaths, as well as chalk downland in parts of southern England. Recent work on damp grassland habitats indicated that larvae are typically found in rather short turf
(<12cm in height), often on the edge of open ‘lawns’ rich in Devil’s-bit Scabious within a taller sward.
Life cycle : The species is single-brooded. The eggs are laid singly on the undersides of scabious leaves, usually under the lower leaves. The larvae develop from July to August. The species overwinters as a pupa in a loose cocoon just below the soil surface. Adults fly from mid May to mid June. They
are powerful fliers and cover large distances at speed, hovering at flowers to feed on nectar.
Regards, Richard