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Acherontia atropos


Acherontia atropos
Photo Information
Copyright: durzan cirano (cirano) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 651 W: 0 N: 228] (4878)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-10-31
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon D80, Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG
Exposure: f/16, 1/160 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Faûna Mesopotamia [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-11-01 3:26
Viewed: 185
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Acherontia atropos is the most widely-known of the three species of Death's-head Hawkmoth. Found throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, and increasingly as far north as southern Great Britain due to recently mild British winters, this moth is easily distinguishable from others in this region by a vaguely skull-shaped pattern on its back. A. atropos is also very large, with a wingspan of 90-130 mm (three to five inches), being the largest moth in some of the regions in which it is found. The adult has the typical streamlined wings and body of Sphingidae. The upper wings are brown with slight yellow wavy lines; the lower wings are yellow with some wide brown waves. It rests during the day on trees or in the litter, holding the wings like a tent over the body.

The moth also has numerous other unusual features. It has the ability to emit a loud squeak if irritated. The sound is produced by expelling air from its proboscis. It often accompanies this sound with flashing its brightly marked abdomen in a further attempt to deter its predators. It is commonly observed raiding beehives for honey at night. Unlike the other species of Acherontia, it only attacks colonies of the well-known Western honey bee, Apis mellifera. It is attacked by guard bees at the entrance, but the thick cuticle and resistance to venom allow it to enter the hive. It is able to move about in hives unmolested because it mimics the scent of the bees.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Sphingidae

Subfamily: Sphinginae

Genus: Acherontia

Species: A. atropos

Binomial name
Acherontia atropos
(Linnaeus, 1758)

From Wikipedia
siggi, yasemin, boreocypriensis, marianas, parasbhalla, cobra112 has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To peter_stoeckl: Spascirano 1 11-02 12:30
To Argus: Spascirano 1 11-01 03:40
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3808 W: 190 N: 11328] (34927)
  • [2009-11-01 3:29]
  • [+]

Slav Dûrzan,
A very fine capture of Acherontia atropos the Death's Head Hawk-moth taken from a great POV with fine sharpness and lighting against the contrasting white wall.
Thanks and best regards,
Ivan

Slav Durzan,
a very beautiful macro shot of this moth, very good sharpness and splendid colours, i like the contrast against a clear wall, excellent POV and composition
TFS
Best regards
Maurizio

Good capture of this moth.I see something like a face on his back.Slav.Alin.

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1370 W: 56 N: 4704] (16174)
  • [2009-11-01 4:43]

Hello Durzan.
Excellent capture of this Hawk-moth!Very ood details, colours and very sharp. exposure and lighting are good. Good POV and composition.
Best regards Siggi

Merhaba Durzan bey, cok guzel bir guve fotosu...Yazin Kibrisin evlerinin duvarlari da geceleyin bunlardan doluyor.. duvarin dokusu cok guzel fon olusturmus... elinize saglik.
Leyla.

Dostum türün teşhis edilmesine de sevindim. Nefis bir çalışma olsu.
Sayende ben de yeni bir tür öğrendim.
Selam ve sevgilerle...
Sağlıcakla kal.

Bayram

hello Durzan
very nice picture
great details of this big moth
greeting lou

Duezan
Wonderful moth!
Great details and colors.
Mariana

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2907 W: 34 N: 8619] (32124)
  • [2009-11-01 10:56]

Hi Durzan. You have taken a fine close up of this dark coloured mouth . The whie BG shows it of so well. I like the face like marking on its back. well taken TFS.
Nick..

Ciao Durzan,

Nice macro capture of the Hawkmoth with nice details! The sharpness and POV are very well chosen here with wonderfully shown natural colors.
Very well done!

best regards,
Paras

I like this shot, Durzan, for its simplistic composition and the lateral POV is very nice!
Goldy!

  • Great 
  • joska Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 404 W: 0 N: 1002] (5396)
  • [2009-11-01 20:44]

Interesting photo of this moth!

Ciao Durzan. Interesting capture with good details and contrast against white wall.

Roberto

Hello Durzan,
impressing documentation of this giant moth with fine details all over. I also like the workshop image that is showing a lively pose, and more details in the dark parts. The reflections of white wall as a background are likely to cause underexposure of all the dark parts. Those parts - in this case covering the whole hawkmoth - may be brought out by some little postwork.
Thank you! With best regards,
Peter

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