Acherontia lachesis, the greater death's head hawkmoth or bee robber, is a large (up to 13 cm wingspan)[1] sphingid moth found in India, Sri Lanka and much of the East Asian region.

The segmental bands and grey stripe occupy so much of the abdomen that only small patches of yellow are left.

[3] Eggs are laid on a variety of host plants belonging to the families Solanaceae, Verbenaceae, Fabaceae, Oleaceae, Bignoniaceae, and others.

Mature larvae can attain a length of 125 mm and occur in green, yellow and brownish-grey colour forms (most commonly grey), with oblique body stripes and a prickly tail horn that is curled at the extreme tip.

The larva pupates by pushing its head into the earth, burying itself, and making an ovoid chamber about 15 cm below the surface in which it sheds its skin.