First record of Deaths Head Hawkmoth Acherontia atropos (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), A Kleptoparasite of Honey Bees from Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan
The Death's Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos) is a remarkable species belonging to the family Sphingidae, known for its unique mimicry of a skull-like pattern on its thorax. This study presents the first documented record of Acherontia atropos in the role of a kleptoparasite preying upon honey bees in the Rahim Yar Khan, southern most district of Punjab, Pakistan. The findings shed light on the interactions between this enigmatic moth species and the honey bee colonies, highlighting potential implications for both the local ecosystem and apicultural practices.
Authors
- Muhammad Tariq Rasheed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6760-0233)
- Muhammad Adnan Bodlah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1115-6038)
- Muhammad Sajid Qureshi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1272-2700)
- Muhammad Majid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0237-8114)
- Yasir Niaz
- Imran Bodlah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5977-0438)
- Ayesha Younas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4607-9979)
- Aleena Kanwal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0055-6163)
- Alishbah Mohsin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2715-3654)
Institutions
- Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University (PK)
- Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology (PK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science
- Published
- 2025-03-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.55627/agrivet.004.01.0772
- Primary Topic
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00