Death’s-head Hawkmoth (Squishable)

I thought I was done with reviews for spooky season this year but with only a few days left until Halloween I was determined to make sure this cutie was featured on the blog before season’s end. This is the death’s-head hawkmoth (genus Acherontia) by Squishable. Death’s-head hawkmoths seem to be all the rage this year. As a veteran Halloween décor shopper, I can’t say that I’ve seen too many of these moths until very recently. This year I’ve seen its image plastered on all manner of Halloween décor: flags, serving trays, gel window-clings, wall hangings…you name it. There’s even a terrible plastic skeleton of one, and then there’s this plush toy. The death’s-head hawkmoth was of course popularized in the 1991 film, Silence of the Lambs, and with the human skull-like marking on its back it’s certainly appropriate for this time of year.

Thankfully, Blaine recently reviewed a death’s-head hawkmoth for the blog, so I won’t have to write an introduction to the genus which will help me power through this review. There isn’t much need for an introduction anyway. Nothing about this plush looks like the real animal aside from the skull marking, which is a bit more on the nose than the real deal. It is heavily stylized with bold, vibrant colors, cute proportions, and gigantic watery looking eyes. Everything on this plush is fat, short, and round, from the antennae tips to the six little legs, to the bulbous abdomen. The inside is stuffed with polyester and plastic pellets. The tag gives a production date of April 2024.

Although not loyal to the real moth the colors and patterns presented here are striking and contrast nicely with each other. The face and feet are mint green colored. The fuzzy ruff around the head and the antennae tips are lavender, the eyes are pink and purple with white eye-shine spots, and the abdomen is hot pink. The thorax is black and so are the wings, aside from the markings which are mint green and white. The underside of the wings creates a nifty skull-like pattern that does not exist on the actual moth. The colors are a far cry from the browns and yellows of the real deal, but they sure do pop!

The Squishable death’s-head hawkmoth is an adorable, vibrant, and cuddly toy but the presence of the skull on the back is the only indicator of the animal it intends to be. Luckily, Squishable also makes this plush with more accurate coloration, and it’s just as cute. So, whatever your preference, realistic or bright and vibrant, they have you covered. We found this moth at Spirit Halloween and according to Spirit’s website it’s exclusive to Spencer’s. You can get it on both Spencer’s and Spirit’s websites and the naturalistic version is widely available online in a couple sizes. This version measures 10” long and 7” wide which puts it in the “Snackers” size class. I cannot recommend this adorable fellow enough, to moth aficionados and Halloween addicts young and old!