Acherontia atropos, the Africandeath's-head hawkmoth, is the most widely recognized of three species within the genus Acherontia (the other two being Acherontia lachesis and Acherontia styx). It is most commonly identified by the vaguely skull-shaped pattern adorning the thorax, the characteristic from which its common and scientific names are derived. The species was first given its scientific name by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Death's-head hawk moths are large, ranging from 3.5 to 5 inches (80–120 mm) as adults.[1] The upper wings are dark, creating a stark contrast between them and the lower wings, which range from a bright yellow to a light cream, yellow being the more common.
A. atropos appears in popular media, including the films The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Dracula (1958), and The Blood Beast Terror (1967).[2]
It is commonly found in the southern part of Europe and throughout much of Africa, from where it is considered to be a native species. Annually, A. atropos migrates to parts of Britain, most numerously to the British Isles, where it is less commonly seen than in its native place of residency.[2]
^"Death's Head Hawkmoth Acherontia atropos Linnaeus 1758". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
Acherontiaatropos, the African death's-head hawkmoth, is the most widely recognized of three species within the genus Acherontia (the other two being...
Acherontiaatropos, also has a species name which references Atropos. The genus of the deadly nightshade, Atropa belladonna, was named after Atropos by...
three species in the genus Acherontia Acherontia atroposAcherontia lachesis Acherontia styx Acherontia (film), a 1972 Mexican film This disambiguation...
Acherontia styx, the lesser death's head hawkmoth or bee robber, is a sphingid moth found in Asia, one of the three species of death's-head hawkmoth. It...
Helsing nodded to him as he whispered to me un-consciously, 'The AcherontiaAtropos of the Sphinges, what you call the 'Death's-head Moth'?{{cite book}}:...
Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon). Other notable species are Acherontiaatropos (a variety of death's-head hawkmoth), Vipera latasti (a venomous snake)...
site by a few bird species. The larvae of the death's head hawkmoth (Acherontiaatropos) and the fulvous hawkmoth (Coelonia mauritii) eat the leaves of this...
R. M. (1991). "Chemical camouflage of the death's head hawkmoth (Acherontiaatropos L.) in honeybee colonies". Naturwissenschaften. 78 (4): 179–182. Bibcode:1991NW...
tithymali which feeds on endemic spurges such as Euphorbia regis-jubae. Acherontiaatropos, the deaths-head hawkmoth also occurs on the island presumably feeding...
amphibian species. Invertebrates such as butterflies are found including Acherontiaatropos and Papilio demodocus; one beetle is endangered: Diplognatha gagates...
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