BeeHawk

I didn't see the large flying bug that I spotted yesterday, but I think this monster makes a pretty good substitution.

The first time I saw this type of bug, I was convinced that it was some kind of exotic bee. It took many months to finally identify, primarily because I was searching in the wrong place and should have been searching moths. This time I was prepared, although it is a totally different insect, it only took me minutes to find.

Identification - Cephonodes hylas melanogaster - pellucid hawkmoth.

For its size, this bug is an accomplished flyer, with a very rapid wing beat, though not fast enough to make a buzz sound. Hard to believe it is a moth when you see it fly. It is even capable of hovering in front of a bloom, to take nectar. At 30mm length (measured), a most impressive bug.

A rare sight, I don't see more than a handful in a year and this is my first sighting of this particular species, a fine addition to my collection.

Dave