Viennese emperor (syn.: 'Great peacock moth', 'Giant peacock moth', 'Giant emperor moth'; dt.[german]: "Wiener Nachtpfauenauge";)

Description:

biggest butterfly of middle europe with an average wingspan of 105 to 160 mm;

Habitat:

Main range is Southern Europe and Northern Africa; lives in warm areas at open, loose scrubby terrains, orchards, parks and alleys; no appearance in germany; first sighting around vienna hence the name; in Austria just in the east to the northern 'Weinviertel', i.e. pannonian climate;

Notes:

I encountered this sublime species at the bars of a window from a wine press house in a north-eastern austrian region named 'Weinviertel' which belongs to the pannonian climatic region. The camera I used was a Canon IXUS 70. The population of this species is about to decline.