The death’s-head hawkmoth has one of the direst reputations of
any insect. The skull on the thorax, the yellow ribs on the
abdomen and the cloak-like wings of the moth combine to produce
an ominous image. Should the moth be disturbed, it hops about,
shrugging its wings up and down, all the while making a high-
pitched squeaking noise. No wonder the moth was believed to be
an evil omen. "It is regarded not as the creation of a
benevolent being, but the device of evil spirits - spirits
enemies to man - conceived and fabricated in the dark, and the
very shining of its eyes is thought to represent the fiery
element whence it is supposed to have proceeded. Flying into
their apartments in the evening at times it extinguishes the
light; foretelling war, pestilence, hunger, death to man and
beast." (Harris, 1840) Throughout Europe, the common names of
this moth all refer to its appearance: Nor could entomologists
resist the lure of the moth’s appearance when giving names,
drawing from Greek mythology: Three other form