Hummingbird moth.

I have had a few over the years but not this year yet, usually later in Summer.

 

Just had another visit, just feeding the strawberries and it was right next to me, I hope this is a sign of things to come.

 

The thing I noticed is they are apparently not scared off by you getting quite close.

 

Aren't they beautiful? We've always had the small version here, but it's the first year we've been visited by their big cousins. (two last night). I don't grow valerian and scrapped the Oenothera speciosa and Araujia sericifera when I realised that the moths were being trapped in the flowers and were usually dead of exhaustion before being released some hours later. They seem happy with Lavender, Jasmine and Stephanotis

 

Ok so that's why you sent me the araujia seeds a few years ago.

 

Reading up on them, the larvae feed on Galium odoratum, Sweet Woodruff, so a good ground cover to plant if you want more

 

Brilliant

I read they feed on lady's bedstraw and madder plant too, already had the bedstraw and bought a madder plant which has shot up in a short time.