76 
Acherontia Atropos. 
Death’s Head Moth and caterpillar. 
During the past year specimens of caterpillars of the Death’s Head 
Moth were sent from two localities. 
These splendid caterpillars are of the shape figured above, and 
when full-fed grow as much as four or sometimes five inches in length. 
The colour is usually yellowish, with the hack spotted and tubercled 
with black, and the sides marked with seven pairs of blue or lilac 
stripes. Each pair slants backward so as to form a kind of point on 
the back, and the lowest end of the stripe is variously marked with 
white or white and black. The distinguishing point, however, of the 
caterpillar is a kind of tail-like horn at the extremity. This is 
tubercled, bent down, and then slightly turned up again at the tip. 
These caterpillars feed on various kinds of plants, as the Elder, 
Spindle tree, and others, but their favourite food is the leafage of 
Potatoes. They usually do not feed until evening, and from their 
great size, if they chance to occur in large numbers, they cause very 
considerable damage.* * 
The greatest recorded appearance I know of is mentioned by 
Stephens, of nearly a bushel of the chrysalids being procured from the 
* For accounts of this moth see ‘British Moths,’ by Professor J. 0. Westwood, 
vol. i., p. 9 ; and ‘British Entomology,’ J. F. Stephens (Haustellata), vol. i., p. 114. 
