18 September 2006icWalesSally Williams
A summer of warm weather has led to an invasion of unusual birds and insects in Wales.
And far from just an array of colourful Mediterranean species, some of them can be dangerous.
Scorpions, black widow-like spiders and giant creepy caterpillars could turn up in our garden borders in future as climate change takes hold, according to experts.
Last month, a rare deaths head hawkmoth caterpillar was discovered by potato researchers at the University of Wales, Bangor.
The moth, which featured in the horror film Silence of the Lambs, starring Anthony Hopkins, takes its name from the characteristic skull and crossbones on its back.
About 10cm long, it is one of the largest caterpillars to be seen in our backyards.
Dr Ian Kitching, an entomologist from the National History Museum, said a second caterpillar had been found in Essex, too, far from the original Welsh sighting.
He said, "Given the distance, it is unlikely that the same female laid both eggs.
"This means that at least two female moths have arrived in this country separately, with the possibility, therefore, of even more."
Dr Kitching said the moth, a native of sub-Sahara Africa, is rarely seen in this country.
He warned people to be careful if they did spot the unusual creatures.
"They will get a shock if they pick it up; caterpillars can bite, they click their jaws together and it will hurt," he said.
The hummingbird hawk moth, abundant in Mediterranean countries, is now more common in Welsh gardens, too.
It can easily be mistaken for a hummingbird. It probes flowers for nectar with its long proboscis and its wings beat so fast they make an audible hum.
But probably the most alarming development is the arrival in the UK of the black widow-like spiders and scorpions from Africa.
The tiny spiders are released into the air on strands of silk by their mothers and can travel long distances in the wind.
Kevin Thom, an insect expert, said, "This is a warmth-loving spider the size of a 50-pence piece, that is one of a range of certain insect species arriving in the UK due to the climate, so batten down the hatches, things are going to get interesting."
Meanwhile, scorpions have already nested in the docklands of London, Southampton and Liverpool.
Experts believe it could only be a matter of time until they arrive in the Cardiff Bay area.
They could even end up crawling across your garden decking as soaring temperatures help them survive longer.
Dr John Gee, an entomologist from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, said climate change was resulting in some odd creatures from the southern Mediterranean turning up on our shores.
He said, "It is a surprising development to find scorpions in the UK. They seem to like areas in the London docklands that are dry and warm and like exotic spiders that turn up in bunches of bananas - they can come here on cargo ships carrying fruit.
"There is no reason why they shouldn't turn up at Cardiff Bay because they seem to tolerate our temperatures and the docklands are best suited to their needs, as long as they have a good food supply.
"With an increasingly dry and warm climate, we can expect to see more of them and other strange creatures arriving.
"Winged insects are a good way to track climate zones because they are very mobile and move quickly.
"Maybe some insect species are starting to move further north."
In June, the rare giant capricorn beetle was found on an oak timber at a workshop in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, by carpenter Ben Perrott.
The bug, which has 10cm-long antennae, was thought to have been extinct in the UK since the 1700s.
And a two-tone reed beetle, donacia bicolora, usually only found at a few sites in the south of England, was discovered at Llangorse Lake in the Brecon Beacons, Powys, last week.
A rare waved carpet beetle was spotted there, too.
Meanwhile, startled gardeners in North Wales reported seeing a vulture soaring above them this summer.
It was believed to have escaped from a zoo.
And an eagle is currently an unwelcome visitor at an organic chicken farm in Rhayader, Mid Wales, where it feeds on chicks.
