Deaths-Head Moth

(Acherontia, or Manduca; atropos), a hawkmoth of the family Sphingidae. Body length, up to 6 cm; wingspread, up to 13 cm. The dark brown thorax has a yellow marking that resembles a human skull (hence the name). The death’s-head moth is distributed in Central and Southern Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. It is found in the central regions of the USSR, in the Ukraine, in the Northern Caucasus, and in Transcaucasia. Most often it is encountered in potato fields. The moth can suck honey from beehives, and when annoyed it emits a squeaky sound. The caterpillars, which are up to 15 cm long, feed primarily on the leaves of solanaceous plants, including the potato.