African death's-head hawkmoth

Acherontia atropos · The African death's-head hawkmoth is a large moth with a skull-like mark on its thorax, found in Southern Europe, the Middle East and much of Africa.

Also called Greater death's head hawkmoth, African death head's hawkmoth.

African death's-head hawkmoth
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0
African death's-head hawkmoth
Photo: Alastair Rae from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0
African death's-head hawkmoth
Photo: Andrea Bonifazi, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilySphingidae
GenusAcherontia
SpeciesAcherontia atropos

Where it lives

Sub-Saharan savanna and farmland, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Fun facts

  • This moth can squeak! It sucks in air and makes a flap in its throat vibrate, and the sound comes out as it breathes out.
  • One idea is that its squeak copies the piping sound of a honey bee queen, which suits a moth that raids beehives.
  • It is a powerful flier and has sometimes been found on ships far from land.
  • Seen upside-down, its markings can look like a whole face, which may help fool predators.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).