Country diary: A monster moth of gothic beauty

West Dartmoor, Devon: Most famous for its use in The Silence of the Lambs, the death's-head hawkmoth is a harmless and subtly stunning creatureTo the superstitious, I was taking a chance, cradling death in my hands - dull black eyes staring at me blankly, dark wings drawn around the body like a cloak, a skull emblazoned on its back. This gothic night-flyer, harbinger of doom and source of dread down the centuries - with cameo roles in horror movies to its name - should have sent a shiver down my spine.But then it gave an endearing squeak, like a mouse - an unlikely utterance, more comical than menacing. I was holding an insect of almost legendary status - a death's-head hawkmoth, a scarce migrant species from southern Europe and Africa with a 12cm wingspan and body thick as a cigar, making it one of Britain's biggest moths. Continue reading...