THERE has been a sighting of the very rare Deaths Head Hawk Moth which flew into a house in Castletowshend last Friday night. With only one recorded sighting in Ireland in 2016 this normally European resident rarely reaches our shores.
The huge moth with a wingspan of between three and five inches gets its name from the Deaths Head Mask on its back.
Totally harmless, the insect’s normal diet is honey which it has been known to raid bee nests or hives for. The photo of the moth (above) was taken by Castlehaven-based photographer Andrew Harris.
