Distribution and Abundance: Irregular.

Primary Habitat: General occurrence.

Flight Period: Mainly seen in late summer.

Observations: Numbers vary from year to year but I receive queries about sightings most years. These are prompted by the moth’s exotic appearance whilst hovering and feeding at flowers with its rapid wing beats producing an audible hum. It is usually most active in the late afternoon in hot sunny weather.

L.O.N.: 1907. Many localities. Irregular. Sometimes common.

First Record: 1842, Clark.