Death Head Hawkmoth
FamilySphingidae
Scientific NameAcherontia atropos
RangeEurope, Africa, Middle East
HabitatVaried
About the Death Head Hawkmoth
Famous for the skull-like pattern on their thorax, featured in The Silence of the Lambs. They can squeak by forcing air through their proboscis — the only moth that makes sound. They raid beehives for honey, mimicking bee scent to avoid attack. Their caterpillars can grow to 12 cm. Multiple species carry the death head name. In European folklore, they were considered omens of death.
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