No wonder Poplar hawkmoths are so pop-u-lar

Poplar hawkmoths are our commonest species of hawk moth in the UK. We did not pick up this one on our moth survey but rather when it flew into our tractor cab! They feed on willow and (unsurprisingly) poplar and the red under its wings is a defence mechanism meant to startle predators which it shows when it is feeling threatened. 
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