What nocturnal moth has a skull-like pattern on its thorax and appears in The Silence of the Lambs?

The nocturnal moth with a skull-like pattern on its thorax that appears in The Silence of the Lambs is the death's-head hawkmoth. The name refers to three closely related species in the genus Acherontia: Acherontia atropos, Acherontia styx, and Acherontia lachesis.

The famous marking is a pale, vaguely human-skull-shaped patch on the thorax. The moths are large, powerful fliers with dark forewings and yellowish or orange hindwings. They are mostly active late at night and can produce a sharp squeaking sound by forcing air through their mouthparts.

The moth's eerie appearance inspired superstition in Europe, where it was sometimes associated with death or disaster. Its image also appeared in Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí's 1929 film Un Chien Andalou before its memorable role in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs.

A common misconception is that the skull pattern belongs to one single species. Most popular references mean Acherontia atropos, but the common name technically covers all three Acherontia species.