I saw this insect on a window on 22nd May, in Warwckshire. When it took off, it appeared to be a relatively small moth and a got an impression of an I distinct light and dark pattern on its wings.
The width of the wooden window frame member behind it is 39mm so I estimate its full width to be 51mm.
It looks bizarre, doesn't it?
My mind goes to the longhorned moths of the Adelidae family, such as Nemophora degeerella
But the body does not fit with your specimen, and the antennae are always very slender.
Also, I am having difficulty believing that those antennae-like things are really part of the moth; they'd be a serious impediment to flight. Arethey really that thick (maybe it is partly an optical effect, due to not being in good focus?) Please can you confirm that the antennae are as thick as they seem and that they went with the moth when it flew!
I'll do some more thinking meanwhile...
Thanks. I am sorry that the focus is not as good as I would have liked. I happened to see it and quickly got out my phone and photographed it. The antennae took off with the moth! I think that if you look at the forward pointing antennae, it is easier to see the degree of blur from which I would estimate that the giant antennae are about half the thickness seen in the photo. The gigantic length is faithfully reproduced, however.
I think it is a caddis fly, perhaps in the genus Triaenodes.
Two other examples of a long-horned caddis fly:
Note the large palpi; we can see these (looking a bit like legs) in your specimen.
my only reservation about your suggestions is that the horns on my specimen showed no sign of pointing forward during the short time it was there. My impression at the time, and from the photo, is that the horns seemed more like one continuous rigid "piece".
It's almost as if they were designed to determine width!
Mike, I think you got it right first time when you suggested Nemophora. The photo was taken with a mobile phone and while phones are good for quick impromptu photos they are limited, compared to cameras. I suggest the overall photo was dark, requiring the phone to use a long exposure (hence the blurring to the antennae) and the moth became washed out, removing all useful detail as the phone attempted to get the correct exposure for the whole picture.