From: Pierre@home.be (Pierre)
Newsgroups: alt.binaries.pictures.animals,alt.binaries.pictures.artpics
Subject: New : Butterflies - PO_but_002_Acherontia_atropos.jpg
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 18:30:20 GMT

Death's Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos)




Comments
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The African death's-head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos) is a species of moth that is most commonly identified by the vaguely skull-shaped pattern adorning the thorax. It is the largest moth in the British Isles and several other regions it inhabits, with a wingspan of 13 cm. 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. It is commonly found in the southern part of Europe and throughout much of Africa. The African death's-head hawkmoth appears in popular media, including the films The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Dracula (1958), and The Blood Beast Terror (1967).
Order: Lepidoptera > Family: Sphingidae > Genus: Acherontia > Species: Acherontia atropos