Sphinx ligustri (Linnaeus, 1758)

Time for a moth.

Photographed July 2013 in Bosham, West Sussex, UK, Using Olympus E-420 DSLR with 40-150mm lens and 3 KOOD magnifiers.

This moth, with a twelve centimetre wingspan, holds the honour of being the largest fully native moth in the UK, the Privet Hawkmoth:

Sphinx ligustri

(Linnaeus, 1758)

I would formerly have assumed that everyone knew that moths were nothing to be afraid of, a co-worker's over-response to a moth (and later, an equally harmless beetle) has given me pause. 

With the exception of a handful of Asian owlet moths in the genus Calyptra, which will bite and feed upon humans on occasion, but do not seem to be vectors of diseases, moths don't - and generally can't - bite. Nor can they sting. Their hairs and scales - particularly in some of the more colourful species - can be an irritant, but outside of serious infestations of specific pest species in food storage, this rarely builds up to a concern. 

This particular species is completely harmless, and feeds on privet, lilac and ash. In addition to flashing a colourful abdomen when disturbed, males can also hiss; again, in response to alarm. The rather conspicuously pink abdomen suggests that eating them isn't entirely without risk. 

Anyway, with that, on with the taxonomy: 

- Sphingini 

- Sphinginae 

- Sphingidae   

- Sphingoidea   

- Bombycina       

See also Metisella willemi, Acada biseriata, Anthocharis cardamines and Laelia robusta.

- Cossina               

- Ditrysia                  

See also Zebronia phenice and Crambus pascuella.

- Heteroneura              

- Neolepidoptera            

- Glossata                         

- Lepidoptera                      

- Amphiesmenoptera             

- Panorpida                              

See also Chloromyia formosa, Senaspis haemorrhoa, Helophilus pendulus, Episyrphus balteatus, Diasemopsis meigenii, Metadon inermis,Dolichotachina caudata Megistocera filipes and Panorpa germanica.

- Endopterygota                            

See also Phyllobius pomaceus, Otiorhynchus atroapterus, Malachius bipustulatus, Oedemera noobilis, Cheilomenes lunata, Melolontha melolontha, Neojulodis vittipennis, Demetrias atricapillus, Anthia fornasiini, Synagris proserpina, Vespula germanica, Astata tropicalis, Andrena nigroaenea and Hagenomyia tristis.

- Eumetabola                                   

See also Grypocoris stysi, Ranatra, Anoplocnemis curvipes and Pephricus. 

- Neoptera                                          

See also Heteropternis thoracica, Cyathosternum prehensile, Lobosceliana loboscelis, Stictogryllacris punctata, Sibylla and Humbe tenuicornis

- Manopterygota                                    

See also Rhyothemis semihyalina, Pseudagrion hageni, Enallagma cyathigerum and Lestinogomphus angustus.

- Pterygota                                               

- Dicondylia                                               

- Insecta                                                       

- Hexapoda                                                    

- Arthropoda                                                    

See also Ligia oceanica, Dicranopalpus ramosus, Hyllus argyrotoxus, Alopecosa barbipes, Enoplognatha ovata, Argiope bruennichi and Pardosa amentata.

- Ecdysozoa                                                        

 - Protostomia                                                        

- Nephrozoa                                                                                                        

See also Synchiropus splendidus, Rana temporaria, Chiromantis xerampelina, Hipposideros vittatus, Thelotornis capensis, Trachylepis varia, Zootoca vivipara, Lygodactylus capensis, Troglodytes troglodytes, Chalcophaps indica, Ardea goliath, Sterna hirundo, Burhinus vermiculatus and Tockus alboterminatus. 

- Bilateralia                                                                 

- Eumetazoa                                                                  

- Animalia                                                                        

- Eukaryota                                                                         

I leave you with one more photograph to show the insect in context, not as well camouflaged if it might be if it hadn't mistaken a lamppost for a tree; 

Same date, place, and time; same camera with one less magnifier.

 And that is all, folks.