One-eyed Sphinx Moth

I noticed this beauty hanging out at our front door here at the Nature Centre this morning. It's called a One-eyed Sphinx Moth (Smerinthus cerisyi). If the name seems a little odd, it's only because this moth has its wings folded. If the wings were spread, you'd be able to see black spots with bluish rings inside them, all surrounded with pink and beige.

The eye spots are a means of defence for this sphinx and many other moths. Suddenly flashing eye spots at an approaching bird may confuse the predator enough to scare it away.

For a look at the spread wings, check out the specimen here.