The Moth with a Skull That Screams
A large moth flies at night with the image of a human skull on its back. When you pick it up, it squeaks.
What was reported
The death's-head hawkmoth is one of the largest moths in Europe and Africa, with a wingspan of up to 13 centimetres. On its thorax is a pale marking that looks strikingly like a human skull. When disturbed, it lets out a loud, shrill squeak.
For centuries, its appearance was taken as an omen of death, war or plague. It also slips into beehives at night to steal honey. It became famous worldwide from the poster of the film The Silence of the Lambs.
Explanations offered
The skull pattern is natural, and probably helps scare off predators. The moth squeaks by pushing air out through its mouth parts, a rare ability for an insect. It gets into beehives safely partly by mimicking the scent of bees, so that they don't attack it.
- When
- Feared for centuries
- Where
- Andalusia, Spain
- Witnesses
- Country people, beekeepers and naturalists
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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