Gum Emperor moth

[Jan]

i just love large moths, since my Gma kept Silkmoth caterpillars and i kept Privet Hawkmoths in the 1950s/60s. Today a Gum Emperor moth was discovered in the shelter where my husband is growing avocadoes. It is very tatty and not all that lively, so has either just emerged from hibernation or recently arrived from Oz. He has had them before over where he is doing Eucalyptus trials in Chch, but this one isn't likely to have hitched from there. I expect they will will be found further south as things warm up.