132 



NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



12:3— Mch., 1910 



THE DEATH-HEAD MOTH 



Mother Nature has marked many of her children curiously. 

 Perhaps we might say that she has given to each an appro- 

 priate coat to wear. How would you like to wear a coat that 

 had a marking like this in the middle of your back. This photo- 

 graph is of the death-head moth, an insect about as curiously 

 marked as any that we can find on earth. There are a great 

 many odd moths and butterflies; you may find the snake very 

 plainly drawn in the shape and markings of one of the tropical 

 moths; you will see the eyes of the owl staring at you from a 

 beautiful butterfly; you may find, although you will have to hunt 



Death-head Moth. 

 Photo by Author. Book rights reserved. 



very carefully and with your eyes wide open, the butterflies 

 that imitate a leaf; but this death-head moth is about as odd as 

 I ever saw. 



As you look at the back, between the wings, you will see the 

 eyes very prominent and the lower part of the face hidden as 

 if with a mask. It looks like a skull and for that reason we get 

 the name "death-head" moth. Some species are better marked 

 than this one, and many have the nose and mouth cavities fairly 

 well outlined. There are a few that have a facial resemblance 

 to a monkey. 



Outside of the gruesome markings this moth is very attract- 

 ive and the "fuzz" of both body and wings is very velvety in- 



