Blood Beast Terror

 The Blood Beast Terror is a film starring Peter Cushing who would have been 100 years old today. A real gentleman of the stage and screen with lovely manners. I watched it today in honour of his memory and it got me thinking about moths. The blood beast terror is a giant Death’s Head Moth that sucks blood and goes around in the disguise of Wanda Ventham the actress. (find info about her here http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0893243/)

The Death’s Head Moth ,if memory serves me well, is 3 species and they do not bite but the larvae or caterpillar  are known to. They are also not giants but can grow up to 135mm. The biggest moth discovered is the Atlas Moth which has a wingspan of up to 30cms.This large moth has no mouth parts unlike the Death’s Head Moth which steals honey from beehives. The Atlas Moth prefers warmer climes whereas the Death’s Head Moth is seen in Europe.None of them suck blood but a so called vampire moth was discovered in 2008:

Vampire Moth Discovered -- Evolution at Work

John Roach
for National Geographic News

October 27, 2008

A previously unknown population of vampire moths has been found in Siberia. And in a twist worthy of a Halloween horror movie, entomologists say the bloodsuckers may have evolved from a purely fruit-eating species.

Read rest here :http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2008/10/081027-vampire-moth-evolution-halloween-missions.html

So how farfetched is our blood sucking giant of the Horror film? At the moment it is farfetched but who is to say what evolution may turn up? There has never been an explanation for Mothman...could he have been a giant moth that also had human form? 

RIP Peter Cushing. A great actor and a lovely human being.