51. Spurge Hawkmoth

Well over 500 species of moths have been recorded in Malta. Yet we see so few of them, and that’s because many moths are tiny, most of them are dust-coloured, and almost all of them fly by night. But there are some large and colourful species too, and one of these is the Spurge Hawkmoth. Hawkmoths are a group of streamlined creatures that look like sleek fighter aircraft, and among these the Spurge Hawkmoth (M: Bahrija tat-Tenghud) enjoys a special place, as it is endemic (= unique) to our land. Now is the best time to search every Tree Spurge shrub to spot the crazily beautiful caterpillars of this species, as they munch away the toxic foliage like there’s no tomorrow. When grown to almost the size of a human finger, these psychedelic eating machines stop bingeing, crawl down into the ground and turn into pupae.

Text and photo by Victor Falzon.

Copyright to Birdlife Malta.