Elephant hawk-moth

When threatened, elephant hawk-moth larvae rear up like a snake and use their very obvious eyespots to startle predators. To preserve this larva, its insides have been squeezed out and then the skin blown up like a baloon.

Object Summary

Accession Loan No.
53/1976/72
Category
Natural History
Collection Class
Arthropods
Collector Excavator
Holcroft, Mr C W
Common Name
elephant hawk-moth
Simple Name
insect: moth

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SPHINGIDAE: Deilephila elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758): elephant hawk-moth