Magnificent moth

narrow bordered bee hawk moth

This bumblebee mimic is ,surprisingly ,a moth . At first glance it looks like a large bee but it flies in a different fashion. I discovered this, one june morning, on the farm for the first time this year , and can report that it has been rarely recorded in Cavan . It was feeding on louse wort. I will have to find out if it breeds on the site . The food plant  for the caterpillar is devils bit scabious which is present, but not over a large area. I read that sheep preferentially graze on devils bit scabious , so I will try to keep them out.