Acherontia atropos (Linnaeus, 1758) Species
Last modified: July 1, 2022, 9:03 a.m.
A fairly common migrant in Belgium, arriving in summer.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Sphingidae > Subfamily: Sphinginae > Tribus: Acherontiini > Genus: Acherontia > Species: Acherontia atropos
- Vernacular names
- Doodshoofdvlinder (NL), Death's Head Hawkmoth (EN), Le Sphinx Tête-de-Mort (FR), Totenkopfschwärmer (DE)
- First mention in Belgium
- De Sélys-Longchamps E. 1837. Catalogue des Lépidoptères ou Papillons de la Belgique, précédé du tableau des Libellulines de ce pays. — — : 1–29. On page 22 (as Acherontia Atropos). view page
- Status
-
Migrant
A rather common migrant, present almost every year in varying numbers.
Distribution
Imago
Museum specimens
Specimens in nature
Caterpillar
Bionomics
Pupates in a loose cocoon in the ground.
No pictures yet!
Flight periods
Most adults have been observed in summertime. They come to light and have the strange habit of entering bee hives.
Observed on
- Host plant (species):
- Solanum tuberosum
- Host plant (genera):
- Solanum
The larva lives on different species of Solanum, but mainly on Solanum tuberosum.
No pictures yet!
