Acherontia atropos (Linnaeus, 1758)


Acherontia atropos: Adult (e.l. La Gomera) [S] Acherontia atropos: Adult (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Acherontia atropos: Adult [S] Acherontia atropos: Adult [S] Acherontia atropos: Adult [S] Acherontia atropos: Adult (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Acherontia atropos: Adult (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Acherontia atropos: Adult (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Acherontia atropos: Adult, skull (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Acherontia atropos: Dead head sign [S] Acherontia atropos: Totenkopf [S] Acherontia atropos: Ovum (La Gomera, December 2011) [M] Acherontia atropos: Ovum (detail) [M] Acherontia atropos: Ovum (La Gomera, December 2008) [N] Acherontia atropos: L1 larva [S] Acherontia atropos: Larva at the end of the first instar [S] Acherontia atropos: L2-larva (e.o. La Gomera) [S] Acherontia atropos: Young larva [S] Acherontia atropos: L3 (e.o. La Gomera) [S] Acherontia atropos: Larva in penultimate instar (e.o. La Gomera) [S] Acherontia atropos: Larva [M] Acherontia atropos: Larva [S] Acherontia atropos: Larva (La Palma) [N] Acherontia atropos: Larva (La Gomera) [N] Acherontia atropos: Larva, greenish form [M] Acherontia atropos: Larva at Nicotiana glauca (La Gomera, December 2011) [N] Acherontia atropos: Larva at Nicotiana glauca (La Gomera, December 2011) [N] Acherontia atropos: Larva (La Palma, El Remo, December 2012) [N] Acherontia atropos: Larva (La Palma, El Remo, December 2012) [M] Acherontia atropos: Larva (La Palma, El Remo, December 2012) [M] Acherontia atropos: Larva (La Palma, El Remo, December 2012) [M] Acherontia atropos: Larva (La Palma, El Remo, December 2012) [M] Acherontia atropos: Larva, horn (La Palma, El Remo, December 2012) [M] Acherontia atropos: Larva, head (La Palma, El Remo, December 2012) [M] Acherontia atropos: Horn (yellow larva, La Gomera, December 2011) [N] Acherontia atropos: Larva, brown form (La Gomera, December 2008) [N] Acherontia atropos: Larva, brown form (La Gomera, December 2008) [N] Acherontia atropos: Horn (brown larva) [N] Acherontia atropos: Head (brown form) [M] Acherontia atropos: Larva on its walk prior to pupation (e.l. La Palma, December 2012) [S] Acherontia atropos: Pupa (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Acherontia atropos: Pupa [S] Acherontia atropos: Cremaster (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Acherontia atropos: Habitat in La Gomera: Nicotiana glauca in a stony barranco near the coast (December 2008) [N] Acherontia atropos: Nicotiana glauca with many eggs in a Barranco in La Gomera (La Dama, December 2011). [N] Acherontia atropos: Habitat on the western coast of La Palma (December 2012). I observed several larvae on Nicotiana glauca. [N]

Host plants:
The species is polyphagous especially on Solanaceae and Oleaceae. But north of the Alps, the caterpillars live primarily on potato leaves (Solanum tuberosum). Less commonly, they are also found on Buddleia, Ligustrum and wild to cultivated Solanum species. In Provence I found a caterpillar on Fraxinus. In the Canaries Nicotiana glauca is a popular host plant.

Habitat:
Acherontia atropos inhabits open land as agricultural areas. I observed the giant caterpillar repeatedly in potato fields near Memmingen (Germany). In the Canaries ravines (Barrancos) and other dry places with Nicotiana glauca and other host plants are colonized.

Life cycle:
In Central Europe the adults usually arrive in the early summer. Caterpillars can be found from July to September. The pupa is less cold resistent than that of Herse convolvuli and thus survive the winter even rarer. In the south (e.g. Canary Islands) Acherontia atropos is on the wing throughout the year and so are the caterpillars.

Endangerment factors:
As a migrant the abundance of Acherontia atropos in Central Europe is more dependent on the situation in the main reproduction areas in Africa.

Remarks:
The short thick proboscis is used for sucking honey. The moths and pupae are able to chirr and the caterpillars are crunching with the mandibles.

Acherontia atropos is widespread in the tropics and subtropics of Africa, the Southern European Mediterranean region and parts of southWestern Asia. Further to the north (to Scandinavia) it flies each year in varying numbers as an immigrant.