Death’s Head Hawkmoth

Acherontia lachesis

Description

Acherontia lachesis colored brown yellowish with the most distinguishing features is the skull-like pattern on the thorax. The forewings upperside has small white discal spot contagious with black patch on the apex of discal cells near the base of the wings. The line proximal to the black patch form a ring-like pattern. the hindwings upperside has a big black patch in the basal half. The amount of black patch on the abdomen and wing are variably, generally more extensive on the abdomen of the male than female. The antena of the male is longer than female. The upperside of the thorax has red hair, and also present on the edge of skull-like mark.

The larva is about 95-125 mm with trichromatic, with green, yellow and grey. The pupa is about 57-87 mm colored dark chestnut.

Population Size

Unknown

Life Span

6 weeks (42 days)

WEIGHT​

-

LENGTH

Wingspan is about 100-132 mm

Ar

Arboreal

No

Nocturnal

Om

Omnivore

Te

Terrestrial

Classification

KINGDOM

:

Animalia

PHYLUM

:

Arthropoda

CLASS

:

Insecta

ORDER

:

Lepidoptera

FAMILY

:

Sphingidae

GENUS

:

Acherontia

SPECIES

:

Acherontia lachesis

Distribution

Acherontia lachesis could be found in forest, parks, plantation.

Geography

Continent : Asia

Country : India, Pakistan, Nepal, Rusia, China, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea.

Habits and Lifestyle

When resting, Acherontia lachesis fold their wings coverring the whole part of the abdomen. When disturbed, it raises the body, moving its wings and emitting the squealing note. It is actively flying at night.

Lifestyle

Arboreal, Terrestrial

Biome

Tropical rain forest

Climate Zone

Tropical

Diet and Nutrition

The young larva eats the egg shells after hatching and also leaves of the host tree, while the moth feeds nectar of the flowers and honey from the beehives.

Diet : Omnivore (Larvae), Nectivore (Adults)

Mating Habits

Acherontia lachesis reproduced by releasing eggs (Oviparous), the female lay their eggs singly under the leaves of the host plant like the member of family Solanaceae, Verbenaceae, Fabaceae, Oleaceae, Bignoniaceae, Labiatae.

Reproduction session : –

Incubation periods : –

Independent age : at birth

Baby name : –

Baby carrying : –

Population

Population status : Not Evaluated (NE)

NE

DD

LC

NT

VU

EN

CR

EW

EX

Population threats​

Family Chneumonidae (Amblyjoppa cognatoria (Smith), Quandrus pepsoides (Smith)) and Family Tachinidae.

PHOTO GALLERY