Insect · GBIF taxon 1861510
Death's Head Hawkmoth
Acherontia atroposAlso known as African Death's-head Hawkmoth, Bee Robber Moth, Skull Moth
Renowned for the striking skull-shaped marking on its thorax, this large moth is a long-distance migrant that travels north from Africa to Europe every spring. Adults possess the rare ability to emit a loud squeak by forcing air through their pharynx when threatened or disturbed. They frequently enter active honey bee hives to steal honey, using chemical mimicry to mask their presence from worker bees.
NocturnalMothMigratory
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Honey
- Tree Sap
- Rotting Fruit
Predators
- Bats
- Insectivorous Birds
- Small Mammals
ThreatsAgricultural pesticide use, habitat loss, and climate shifts.
HabitatsOpen countryside, agricultural land, gardens, and scrublands.
Life spanUp to 6 weeks as adults.
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilySphingidae
- GenusAcherontia
- SpeciesAcherontia atropos
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Night Lighting: Observe adults by setting up a light trap on warm summer nights.
- Garden Inspection: Search potato or nightshade leaves for massive hornworm caterpillars.
- Listen Closely: Gently disturbing an adult may trigger its unique audible squeak.
Host Plant (c) jamie-aa, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by jamie-aa · cc-by
Prey Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Didier Descouens, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Seema Merchant, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Family Member (c) Smudge 9000, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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Found in Collections
Species set
Moonlight Marvels
Death's Head Hawkmoth is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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