52 Lloyd's natural history. 



AcJierontia atropos, Curtis, Brit. Ent., pi. 147 (1827) ; 

 Stephens, III. Brit. Ent. Haiist., i., p. 114 (1828); Bois- 

 duval, Spec. Gen. Lepid. Heter., i,, p. 6 (1875); Kirby, 

 Eur. Butterflies and Moths, p. 67, pi. 16, figs, i a-c 

 (1879); Buckler, Larvce of Brit. Lepid., ii., p. 107, pi. 21, 

 fig. I (1887) ; Barrett, Lepid. Brit. Isl., ii., p. 16, pi. 44 



(1893)- 



Manduca affopos, Kirby, Cat. Lepid. Heter., i., p. 700 



(1S92). 



This large and interesting insect has a wide range, being 

 found throughout Europe, as well as Western Asia and Africa. 

 It expands from four to five inches across the fore-wings. 

 The short, stout antennns are white on the outer side at the 

 tips. The head and thorax are black suffused with blue, and 

 on the middle of the latter is a large ochreous spot, shaped 

 something like a human skull, from which the insect derives 

 its popular name. The abdomen, which is very thick and 

 downy, is yellow ringed w^ith black, and has a broad steel-blue 

 stripe down the middle. The fore-wings are black or blue- 

 black, dusted with wliite, with ochre-yellow and brownish spots 

 and lines, and a white central spot. The hind- wings are 

 ochre-yellow with two black bands ; the outer band, which is 

 broad, and situated close to the hind margin, expands on the 

 nervures, sending processes to the marginal border and towards 

 the other band, which is narrower and of uniform width 

 tlu-oughout. On the under surface the ground colour is ochre- 

 yellow. The proboscis is very stout and short ; and Rossi 

 determined that the sound emitted by the moth was pro- 

 duced by forcing air from the air-sacs through the proboscis, 

 an explanation which has been more recently verified by 

 Wagner. 



Some variations in the intensity of colouring are met with, 

 as well as in the distinctness of the death's-head, and the width 



