The Death's Head Hawk moth is the largest moth found in the UK. It can have a wingspan of up to 135 mm (more than five and a quarter inches!) and, has a marking on its 'head' that looks like a skull. As if that's not sinister enough, it squeaks like a mouse - but louder! It is a migrant, arriving in Britain in spring from mainland Europe to lay its eggs on the new potato plants on which its larvae feed. The specimen above is one of several in the museum's collection |