A beauty in my garden.

This weekend while I was walking through the garden very close to the orchard I came across this beauty. Unfortunately she was already dead. I guess natural death because she didn't have any signs of predation.

I can't resist putting it on a piece of paper and taking some photos of it. It is a nocturnal butterfly and very large, almost 12 centimeters. That means it was a female of its species since the males are smaller.

It is an Acherontia atropos and this is what wikipedia says about it:

"Acherontia atropos, the African death's-head hawkmoth, is the most widely recognized of three species within the genus Acherontia (the other two being Acherontia lachesis and Acherontia styx). It is most commonly identified by the vaguely skull-shaped pattern adorning the thorax. , the characteristic from which its common and scientific names are derived.The species was first given its scientific name by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Death's-head hawk moths are large, ranging from 3.5 to 5 inches (80–120 mm) as adults.[1] The upper wings are dark, creating a stark contrast between them and the lower wings, which range from a bright yellow to a light cream, yellow being the most common. "

I found her near my little potato field so considering she likes nightshades I guess she may have laid her eggs there. I will be attentive to see if I see any of her caterpillars because they are really spectacular.

Her visit has been very fascinating and the children have loved knowing more about her and looking for all the information about her.

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