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Death's-head Hawkmoth

uncommon

Death's-head Hawkmoth

Acherontia atropos

Habitat
Europe, North Africa, Middle East
Wingspan
130 mm
Order
Lepidoptera · Sphingidae

Weird but real

Marked with a human skull pattern on its thorax, and squeaks audibly when threatened.

Why it's cool

Raids beehives by mimicking the queen's pheromones, walks right past the guards, drinks the honey.

Photographs

These are huge!
Alastair Rae from London, United Kingdom · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Death hawk moth (Acherontia atropos)
Harald Süpfle · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source