“…and today we’re talking about a moth that is marked for death. But more on that later.”
If you’re wandering the forests of East Asia at night, you may encounter a creature that bears an ill omen. Black cats, ravens, owls– people around the world believe some animals are a sign that death is around the corner. But the Greater Death’s Head Hawkmoth would send a chill up the spine of even the least superstitious explorer. Why would any animal sport the image of a ghostly skull in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
Description
- Looks like a moth that decided to moonlight as a gothic tattoo
- Wings are a moody mix of dark brown, black, and yellow with a velvety texture
- Body is fuzzy, with a stout, cigar-shaped abdomen
- Larger than your average moth, but not quite the size of a small bat
- Antennae are feathery and curve like tiny scythes
- Has a long, coiled proboscis for sipping nectar like a straw
Measure Up
Welcome to the beloved Measure Up segment. The official listener’s favorite part of the show! The part of the show when we present the animal’s size and dimension in relatable terms through a quiz that’s fun for the whole family. It’s also the part of the show that’s introduced by you when you send in audio of yourself saying, singing, or chittering the words Measure Up into ldtaxonomy at gmail dot com.
Hollow Knight End Boss Fight + Radiance No Damage Kill
Body Length of Acherontia lachesis Acherontia lachesis has a body length of 60 mm (2.36 inches). How many objects fit into the moth’s body length (if the object is shorter) or how many moths fit into the object’s length (if the object is longer)?
Question: How many fit into each body length comparison?
A) 2.2 Thai chili peppers go into the body length of an Acherontia lachesis
B) 8.0 Acherontia lachesis go into the length of a Bamar bamboo flute
C) 1.1 Acherontia lachesis go into the diameter of an Indian bangle
a) The length of a Thai chili pepper
A Thai chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens), used in Southeast Asian cuisine, measures about 5 cm (50 mm or 1.97 inches) long for a mature fruit.
60 ÷ 50 = 1.2 Thai chili peppers (object is shorter, so peppers into moth’s body length).
b) The length of a Bamar bamboo flute
A traditional Myanmar bamboo flute (palwe), used in Bamar music, measures about 30 cm (300 mm or 11.8 inches) for a standard instrument.
c) The diameter of an Indian bangle
A traditional Indian bangle, worn as jewelry, has an inner diameter of about 6.5 cm (65 mm or 2.56 inches) for a medium-sized adult piece.
Wingspan of Acherontia lachesis
Acherontia lachesis has a wingspan of 130 mm (13 cm or 5.12 inches). How many objects fit into the moth’s wingspan (if the object is shorter) or how many moths fit into the object’s length/diameter (if the object is longer)?
Question: How many fit into each wingspan comparison?
A) 2.6 Acherontia lachesis go into the diameter of a Sri Lankan lotus flower
B) 2.6 Malaysian durian seeds go into the wingspan of an Acherontia lachesis
C) 2.6 Acherontia lachesis go into the length of a Vietnamese chopstick
a) The diameter of a Sri Lankan lotus flower
A lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera), culturally significant in Sri Lanka, has a diameter of about 25 cm (250 mm or 9.84 inches) when fully bloomed.
b) The length of a Malaysian durian seed
A durian seed from Malaysia’s national fruit (Durio zibethinus) measures about 5 cm (50 mm or 1.97 inches) long.
c) The length of a Vietnamese chopstick
A traditional Vietnamese chopstick, used for dining, measures about 24 cm (240 mm or 9.45 inches) long.
Fast Facts
- Range: Found across Southeast Asia, from India to southern Japan and down to Indonesia.
- Habitat: Thrives in tropical forests, gardens, and farmlands where host plants like nightshade grow.
- Diet: Adults sip nectar from flowers; larvae munch on leaves of plants like potato and jasmine.
- Mating Behavior: Males attract females with pheromones; mating happens at night, and females lay eggs on host plants.
- Hunting Behavior: Known to raid beehives for honey, using their tough bodies to shrug off bee stings.
- Lifespan: Lives about 6 weeks as an adult; full life cycle from egg to death is around 3 months.
- Social Behavior: Solitary, except when larvae group on host plants or adults gather at nectar sources.
- Sounds: Emits a loud, squeaky chirp by forcing air through its proboscis, startling predators.
- Predators: Eaten by bats, birds, and spiders, though their squeaking can deter some attackers.
Major Fact: Death Mask
The “death’s head” marking on the thorax of Acherontia lachesis, resembling a skull, is thought to serve primarily as a defense mechanism, though its exact purpose is not fully definitive and may involve multiple functions. Here are the leading hypotheses based on available knowledge:
Aposematic Warning (Startle Defense):
The skull-like pattern, combined with the moth’s ability to emit a loud squeak when disturbed, may startle or deter predators like birds, bats, or small mammals. The striking, ominous marking could signal that the moth is unpalatable or dangerous, even though it’s not toxic.
The visual cue is particularly effective in low-light conditions, where the contrast of the pattern stands out to nocturnal predators.
Camouflage and Mimicry:
The marking may act as disruptive camouflage, breaking up the moth’s outline when resting on tree bark or other natural surfaces, making it harder for predators to single it out.
Some researchers suggest the skull shape could mimic the appearance of a larger animal’s face (e.g., a snake or vertebrate), creating an illusion of threat to ward off attackers.
Cultural Misinterpretation:
The “death mask” may not have a specific ecological purpose beyond natural variation in pigmentation that happens to resemble a skull to human eyes (a phenomenon called pareidolia). However, its persistence across the Acherontia genus suggests evolutionary selection, likely tied to survival advantages like those above.
Beehive Infiltration:
While less directly related to the skull marking, the moth’s overall appearance and chemical mimicry (emitting bee-like pheromones) help it infiltrate beehives to feed on honey. The thorax marking might play a minor role in blending with the hive’s dark, chaotic environment or avoiding bee aggression, though this is speculative.
Supporting Evidence:
Studies on related species (Acherontia atropos) suggest the squeaking and visual markings work together to startle predators, increasing survival rates.
A 2020 study cited in the entry describes how the thorax marking of Acherontia atropos (and by extension, similar species like A. lachesis) creates an illusion of a head with eyes when viewed upside-down. The skull pattern acts as a “nose,” with other markings resembling eyes, ears, and a muzzle. The study suggests this illusion is “almost certainly to deter, distract or otherwise deceive predators.” This supports the hypothesis that the skull marking serves as a visual defense mechanism, potentially mimicking a larger animal’s face to startle or confuse predators.
Ending
So shrug off those bee stings, munch on some potato plants, and become a herald of death, life and taxonomy…like the greater death’s head hawkmoth