The African death's-head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos) is the largest moth in the British Isles (though not in Africa), with a wingspan of 12 cm (5 in); it is a powerful flier, having sometimes been found on ships far from land.

[2] The caterpillar of the African death's-head hawkmoth is also sturdy and somewhat variable in colour, being some shade of buff, green or brown, with seven diagonal blue lines.

The other two species of death's-head hawkmoth similarly have three larval color forms: typically, green, brown and yellow.

The pupa is stout and reddish-brown, and is formed 8 to 10 in (20 to 25 cm) under the ground in a chamber the size of a large hen's egg.

In the greater death's-head hawkmoth the host plant is usually the potato, but may also be tomato, woody nightshade, jasmine or common buckthorn.

The sound is produced by inhaling and expelling air, which vibrates the epipharynx like an accordion, often accompanied by flashing of the brightly colored abdomen in a further attempt to deter predators.

A study by National Geographic found that the epipharynx was originally built to suck up honey, but later evolved to produce sound.

The legend both amongst the Dutch and the natives of the Cape of Good Hope, is, that this moth has a sting, and that a puncture from it causes instant death.

The death's-head moth also featured in the 1968 horror film The Blood Beast Terror starring Peter Cushing.

[12] In 2018 survival horror game, Remothered: Tormented Fathers by Italian artist Chris Darril, they represent both the transformation and the human psyche.