They might usually be seen as the butterfly's ugly sister, but there's a lot more to the humble moth than meets the eye as displayed in this amazing photograph captured by a Norfolk amateur photographer.

Eastern Daily Press: Bedstraw Hawk-moth, a rare visitor to the UK, also pictured near Diss. Picture: Trevor MayesBedstraw Hawk-moth, a rare visitor to the UK, also pictured near Diss. Picture: Trevor Mayes (Image: Archant)

Trevor Mayes snapped the eye-catching weird image of this rare Dusky Thorn after finding it in the moth trap at his home near Diss.

The resulting image which gives the impression of a startled reaction surprised the keen photographer and nature lover, who regularly photographs birds, butterflies, moths and dragonflies.

Eastern Daily Press: The striking image of a Dusky Thorn moth captured by Norfolk photographerTrevor Mayes on his phone. Picture: Trevor MayesThe striking image of a Dusky Thorn moth captured by Norfolk photographerTrevor Mayes on his phone. Picture: Trevor Mayes (Image: Archant)

He said: 'I've a moth trap and anything that's different I get a photo. Normally with my 100mm macro but was in a rush, early start for work so I just used my iPhone at half zoom. To be honest the result did shock me.'

Dusky Thorn moths are one of the plainer-looking of Britain's 'Thorns' found in deciduous woods and suburban habitats, but there numbers have declined in recent years.

Mr Mayes also recently photographed a Bedstraw Hawk-moth at his Diss home, an immigrant species that is relatively rare to these shores.