Death’s-head hawkmothAcherontia atropos — habitat, diet and reproduction

Large dark brown death’s-head hawkmoth with a yellowish skull-like pattern on its back

Death’s-head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos) showing its thorax pattern. · Alastair Rae from London, United Kingdom / CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0). Cropped and resized.

The death’s-head hawkmoth is a large night-flying moth with a yellowish skull-like pattern on its thorax. It is one of the few moths that can make sounds: when disturbed, it squeaks. In summer it migrates from Africa to Europe, reaching Romania, and sometimes enters beehives to steal honey.

Quick facts

Common name	Death’s-head hawkmoth
Scientific name	Acherontia atropos
Lifespan	The adult a few weeks
Length	Wingspan about 9–13 cm; caterpillar up to about 13–15 cm
Diet	Caterpillars: potato, tomato, jasmine leaves; adults: honey, sap, fruit
Predators	Birds, bats, bees defending the hive
Conservation status	Not evaluated; widespread
Distribution	Africa, Middle East, southern Europe; migrates to northern Europe in summer
Habitat	Open land, gardens, potato fields
Family	Sphingidae
Activity	Nocturnal

Primary category:Insects
Explore this animal's categories:
Animals of Africa Animals of Asia Animals of Europe Animals of Romania Arthropods D Egg-laying animals Flying animals Insects Insects of Romania Invertebrates Migratory animals Nocturnal animals Omnivores Wild animals

Interesting facts

The skull-like pattern on its back made it a symbol of death in superstitions for centuries.
The moth squeaks by pushing air through its proboscis, like a tiny whistle.
It can enter beehives without being attacked, by mimicking the bees’ scent, and drinks honey.
The caterpillar can reach the length of a hand and has three colour forms: green, yellow and brown.

Characteristics

The death’s-head hawkmoth is one of the largest moths in Europe. Its forewings are mottled dark brown and its hindwings yellow with black bands. The abdomen has yellow and black stripes and a blue line.

The thorax bears a yellowish pattern with two black spots resembling a skull. Its proboscis is short and thick, suited to piercing honeycomb rather than deep flowers.

Behaviour

It is a nocturnal, powerful flier. In summer, many moths leave Africa and southern Europe and head north, travelling hundreds of kilometres.

When disturbed, it gives a sharp squeak by pushing air through its proboscis. It sometimes enters hives at night; its scent resembles that of bees, helping it avoid immediate attack.

Habitat and distribution

The species lives in Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe and migrates north in summer as far as Britain and Scandinavia.

In Romania it occurs as a migrant, mainly in summer and autumn, and caterpillars are sometimes found in potato fields.

Diet and feeding

Caterpillars eat leaves of potato, tomato, aubergine, jasmine and other plants. They are large and eat a lot but rarely cause serious damage.

Adults drink sap, juice from very ripe fruit and especially honey stolen from hives. Unlike many hawkmoths, they do not feed from deep flowers.

Reproduction and life cycle

The female lays eggs singly on host plants. The caterpillar grows fast and becomes very large, with a curved “horn” at the rear.

To pupate, it burrows 20–25 cm into the soil and builds a chamber. In cold regions, many pupae do not survive the winter.

Name and history

The scientific name Acherontia atropos comes from Greek mythology: Acheron was a river of the underworld, and Atropos was the Fate who cut the thread of life.

Because of its skull pattern, the moth appeared in superstitions as a bad omen. It became famous through the film “The Silence of the Lambs”, whose poster shows a death’s-head moth.