General comments:
Extremely infrequent immigrant from Europe - not recorded in all years. Extinct as a British resident. Some early examples may lay eggs on potato plants and these may, on rare occasion, generate adults later in the year, but none of the life cycle stages is able to survive an English winter, so the species has not re-established.

Hertfordshire Notes: Hertfordshire records known are as follows: Lilley, 1869 (Rev. P. H. Jennings, Entomologist : 325); Watford, 1875 - 'The neighbourhood of Watford is singularly prolific of that fine insect the death's head moth (Acherontia Atropos), and search in any large potato field towards the end of July will probably be successful' (J. H. James, 1875. Transactions of the Watford Natural History Society : 64); Haileybury College area, 1887 (Bowyer, 1889); Grange Street, St Albans, Jul 1892, (A. Lewis); Campbell Street, St Albans, 12th July 1892, (Mrs Ashdown); near Hitchin, 1895, (F. Latchmore); Hitchin, 1895, (H. Gatward); Cheshunt area, 1900, (W. C. Boyd); Cheshunt area, 1900, (W. C. Boyd); Larvae in the potato field around St Albans during 1902 (Miss Dickinson, reported in Barraud P. J., 1903); Leasey Bridge, a pupa on 18th October 1905 in a potato field and given to Miss Alice Dickinson and another at Sandbridgebury Farm, also in 1905 (Gibbs, 1906); An adult in the middle of the North Road near Baldock [presumably the Great North Road = the A1] in 1905 found by A. H. Foster (Gibbs, 1906); Larvae were 'often reported' in the fields around Walkern during the 1940s (J. Birdsall); One at Kimpton School House in September 1945 reported by Mr Patrick (Foster, 1946); One at The Hoo, Whitwell, 14th September 1949 by R. S. Ferry (specimen in Mill Green Museum); One 'taken at a Hemel Hempstead Fire Brigade practice' by R. B. Benson in 1950 (Bell, 1953); One at Bishops Stortford on 17 September 1955 (C. Craufurd) was one of a total of 381 reported British examples that year - the 'best' year for the species since 1933, when 101 were reported; St Albans, one in early September 1976 taken by N. E. Gammon (Bell, 1977); near Stevenage, a larva taken by Peter Waterton and reared by a Mr Cox of Little Wymondley (Bell, 1977); Much Hadham, 15th September 1991 (David Wilson); High Wych, 10th October 1991, (Bob Reed); Breachwood Green, 15th August 2003 (M. Bremner); Rothamsted Estate, 15th September 2004 (R. Harrington) and Hunsdon, 4th July 2006 (Sue Staniforth). Additional record: There is an unconfirmed report from Hunsdon (south of Bishops Stortford) per Jack Doyle, 30th July 2008.
Seven examples are noted in the years 2000 to 2022.

Middlesex Notes:
Plant (1993) listed the Middlesex records to date, recording Isleworth and Mill Hill (given by Cockerell, 1898) and then Finchley and Whetstone. A report from the Ruislip area in 1940 has also come to light. Modern records are from Fulham in 2003 and from Hammersmith in 2019.

	Retained Specimen / Photograph will be Required.

Recorded in 14 (34%) of 41 10k Squares. First Recorded in 1887. Last Recorded in 2022. Additional Stats

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