illustration of a Death's-head Hawkmoth as fully developed and as a caterpillar
Acherontia atropos is the most widely-known of the three species of Death's-head Hawkmoth. Found throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, and increasingly as far north as southern Great Britain due to recently mild British winters, this moth is easily distinguishable from others in this region by a vaguely skull-shaped pattern on its back. A. atropos is also very large, with a wingspan of 90-130 mm (three to five inches), being the largest moth in some of the regions in which it is found. The adult has the typical streamlined wings and body of Sphingidae. The upper wings are brown with slight yellow wavy lines; the lower wings are yellow with some wide brown waves. It rests during the day on trees or in the litter, holding the wings like a tent over the body.
Size: 4200px × 4101px
Photo credit: © markku murto/art / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: 19th, acherontia, art, atropos, atroposo, butterfly, calavera, caterpillar, century, de, death-head, di, doodshoofdvlinder, drawing, esfinge, hauskúpufiðrildi, hawkmoth, illustration, illustrations, la, mort, morto, moth, muerte, painting, sfinge, sphinx, testa, trupia, vintage, zmierzchnica, ääkallokiitää, ête, ödskallefjäril, ödskallesvärmare, ødningehodesvermer, łówka
