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Swarms of bat-sized ‘grim reaper’ moths are flocking to Britain from the Continent.

A long, warm summer has led to a spate in sightings of terrifying Death’s-head Hawk-moths in the South of England, some reportedly the size of a new-born kitten.

The rare creatures, traditionally seen as omens of death, get their name from the skull-like markings on their heads and emit a ‘horrendous’ loud, piercing squeak if disturbed.

A long, warm summer has led to a spate in sightings of terrifying Death’s-head Hawk-moths in the South of England, some reportedly the size of a new-born kitten

Normally found in southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Deaths-head Hawk-moths occasionally appear in the UK during autumn when warm winds from the Continent push the insects north.

This year experts say there have been as many as 20 sightings in Britain - and warned a final blast of warm weather this weekend could lead to another surge.

They have featured hauntingly in art and literature for several centuries, and an image of one of the creatures dominated the poster for the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, in which moths are used as a murderer’s calling card.

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They are one of the fastest, and largest, moths found in his country, with a wingspan of six inches (130mm) – around the size of a small bat.

Zoe Randle, of the British charity Butterfly Conservation, said: ‘This time of year is peak for moth immigration. It’s like Christmas for moth recorders.

‘If the wind is coming from the Continent then they’ll use the wind to help them get here.

‘They’re pretty big - about the same size as a small mouse, or a bat - and have really big strong wings. They actually use the wind to help them fly - the wind carries them, but they fly at the same time.

‘They are really robust, stealth-like fliers. If it’s a good year for moth migration, the chances are a whole load of them come together.’

The rare creatures, traditionally seen as omens of death, get their name from the skull-like markings on their heads and emit a ‘horrendous’ loud, piercing squeak if disturbed

So far this year, sightings have been reported across Wiltshire, Sussex and other counties in the South of England.

Maggie Prangnell, who discovered a 70mm wide moth in Pevensey, East Sussex, said: ‘It makes a horrendous noise, a scary squeaking noise’.

But although they are usually spotted in the South and East of England, Death’s-Head Hawk-moths have reached most parts of the British Isles, according to Dr Randle.

She said: ‘They’ve been as far north as Orkney, Shetland, the Isle of Man, and the eastern half of Ireland. They’ve even been recorded on the oil rigs of the North Sea.’

Dr Randle added: ‘If you leave a light on and you’ve left a window open they can come in your house, or you’ll just see them outside.

‘They are pretty big and they look frightening, but they’re totally harmless. They go into bee hives and they feed on the honey, and they make a squeaking sound when they’re disturbed.’

She insisted that they will not eat your clothes, as most people fear.

Dr Randle said: ‘We’ve got 2,500 species of moths in the UK. Of those, only six eat natural fibres. And of those six, only two can cause damage to clothes and natural fibres.

Normally found in southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Deaths-head Hawk-moths occasionally appear in the UK during autumn when warm winds from the Continent push the insects north

‘So less than half a per cent of moths eat clothes. Everybody thinks that all moths eat clothes, but they don’t.’

Unlike other moths, the species mainly feeds on honey. To protect themselves from honeybees’ stings when entering their hives, the moths produce a chemical that soothes the bees.

Once inside the hive, the moth can move freely and undisturbed by mimicking bees’ scent.

Despite their scarce appearances in the UK, the moth has haunted British literature, art and folklore for centuries, believed to foretell war, hunger and death.

Legend has it the species, Acherontia Atropos in Latin, was first spotted in Britain during the execution of King Charles I in 1649.

However it is more likely that the moths became more common around that time, having actually appeared centuries earlier with the first transportation of potatoes.

They were rumoured to be tormentors of King George III, who in 1801 was thrown into one of his infamous bouts of ‘madness’ when two large Death-head Hawk moths were discovered in his London bedchambers.

This year experts say there have been as many as 20 sightings in Britain - and warned a final blast of warm weather this weekend could lead to another surge

One of these moths was collected by the monarch’s physician and is displayed at the University of Cambridge.

In popular culture, Irish author Bram Stoker mentions the Death-head Hawk-moth in his Gothic horror novel Dracula, while English novelist Thomas Hardy includes it as a prophecy of doom in his book The Return of the Native.

The moths also have a sinister reputation in art, appearing as an ill-advised love token in William Holman Hunt’s 1851 painting The Hireling Shepherd.

More recently, a Death’s-head Hawk-moth features on promotional posters advertising the 1991 horror blockbuster The Silence of the Lambs.

Dr Randle warned that despite a recent surge in UK sightings, Death’s-Head Hawk-moths, like the rest of their species, are generally in decline.

She said: ‘As a group, moths are declining quite frighteningly. There are all sorts of factors, such as light pollution, habitat loss, changes to habitat management, urbanisation.

‘If you do see one of these, just enjoy it, because they’re absolutely incredible to see. It’s quite a spectacle, particularly with the actual skull marking on its head.

‘You can also report it to your county moth recorder. They’re in each county of the UK, and he or she collates sightings. 

'There’s a list of county moth recorders on the Butterfly Conservation website.’ 

A BAD OMEN THAT HAS HAUNTED ENGLISH LITERATURE FOR CENTURIES

:: The Death-head Hawk-moth gets its name from the skull-like marking on its head.

:: The moths emit a loud, piercing, mouse-like squeak if irritated or disturbed. This is produced when the moth expels air from the pharynx. Sometimes it accompanies this by flashing its brightly coloured abdomen in order to scare off predators.

:: The Death-head Hawk-moth mainly feeds on honey. To protect itself from honeybees’ stings, it produces a chemical that soothes the bees. Once inside the hive, the moth can move freely and undisturbed by mimicking bees’ scent.

:: They are normally found in southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, but can appear in the UK during autumn when warm winds from the continent push the insects north.

:: Associated with the supernatural, the Death-head Hawk-moth is traditionally considered a bad omen, believed to foretell war, hunger and death.

:: The species has haunted British literature, art and folklore for centuries, featuring in Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and 1991 horror blockbuster The Silence of the Lambs. 

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