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A young woman was shocked to discover a "Jurassic Park" creature lurking in her conservatory before realising it was a sex-mad moth.
Presenter Jemma McCarthy, from Hertfordshire, said she was baffled after she stumbled across the peculiar insect which she compared to a "shark with wings."
A video shared the moment that Gemma had caught the mysterious creature as she could be heard guessing and gasping as she carried the container outside.
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She joked to her dog, "stay away, it will eat you alive" before she let it out of the plastic container last week.
"I can't even tell you what it is it's like a shark with wings or like the fattest butterfly you've ever seen in your life," she said in the footage.
She added: "It's like a bird, you can still see it over there" as it flew off into the sky.
Shortly after her dramatic rescue, the presenter said she carried out some research and realised it was a Poplar Hawk – which is known for its mating rituals.
Wildlife experts have reassured that the creepy crawlies can't bite and die as soon as they have had sex.
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Speaking to the Daily Star, Jemma said: "It looked like a fish with wings. I’ve never seen anything like it. It looks like it came from Jurassic Park!
"Then when I heard it was a sex-crazed moth I locked the doors and got my dog inside.
"I pray they don’t get breeding because I don’t think they’re gonna be welcome around here."
Alan Gunn, subject leader in Natural Sciences and Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, previously said the oversized insects are harmless.
He told the Liverpool Echo: "The adult moths exist only to fly around and have sex. After that, they die. It’s a short life and you don’t even get to eat and drink."
In recent months, temperatures have soared across the UK and climbed to 40C in a record-breaking July.
The weather has continued to remain at a high, and in earlier years, the heat has been linked to spotting the Poplar Hawk.
In August 2021, residents across Manchester shared their fears over the sudden sightings of the moths, which they said resembled a mini "dragon."
Animal and Plant Director, Mike Jordan, of Chester Zoo, told Manchester Evening News at the time: “This is a poplar hawkmoth (Laothoe populi), which is a common British moth found right around the UK.
“It often surprises people because it is so large and its wings are quite distinctive. The adult moths do not feed at all, but the caterpillars, which are very large, feed on the leaves of poplar trees.
“It’s likely that the very warm weather we’ve recently had has caused the adult moths to hatch and be very active.
"People may have spotted them around artificial lights, as you can often find them resting on them in the morning.”
Have you spotted a sex-crazed moth near you ? Send your pictures to [email protected]
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