The Deaths head hawkmoth Acherontia atropos is the largest moth to be
regularly found in Britain. Although not truly a native, it is a common migrant
from southern Europe. When conditions lead to a large migration, the striking
yellow caterpillars can sometimes be encountered in late summer feeding in
potato fields.
The adult moths are unusual in several ways: they have the ability to emit
a loud squeak when irritated by expelling air from the pharynx. They also have
the habit of raiding beehives for honey - a behaviour enabled by their ability
to produce a scent mimicking that of the queen bee. Perhaps most strikingly
unusual is the skull-like markings on the thorax. This feature has earned this
species a negative reputation, and in popular culture it has often been used in
connection with evil and the supernatural, most notably in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs.
Although in Britain the larvae are most commonly found on potato Solanum
tuberosum, in captivity they will readily accept Privet Ligustrum
vulgare. The bright yellow larvae are striking in colouration and also size,
with individuals growing as large as 12cm.
Larval food plants:
*Solanaceae
*Verbenceae
*Oleaceae
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