Elephant Hawk Moth, (Deilephila elpenor)

A large olive-green and pink moth. The caterpillars can grow to 7cm, and are brown or green, have a spike at their tail-end and a trunk-like snout (hence the name). They have two large eye-spots that mimic larger, less tasty animals. They eat willowherb and bedstraw leaves. It is a resident species, quite regularly appearing at moth traps during the month of June. The name elephant is attributable to the larvae which bear a resemblance to an elephant's trunk. 

In the photograph I used a set of extension tubes to increase the magnification of the photograph. It is placed between the lens and the SLR body to allow the lens to focus closer than normal and also increase magnification, however there is a loss of light (about 2 stops). To overcome this I used a home made flash bracket to position a flash each side of the lens.