Deaths head sphinx in North America?

[John Snyder]

The follwing message is from Wayne Wehling, who asked that I forward it to
the Leps-l list:

I wrote to Ray Mendez and this is what he tells me about the moths and the
movie.  The moths used in "Silence of the Lambs" were Manduca sexta not
Acherontia atropos (deaths head hawk moth).  The moths were reared at a
University in North Carolina (UNC, Wake Forest ?)in a Laboratory conducting
eye experiments.  The moth sequences of the film were shot during a very
cold winter in an old GE electric factory building about 20 miles outside
Pittsburgh.  About 300 adult moths were sent each Monday from North
Carolina numbers were supplemented with stock from Carolina Biological
Supply where necessary.  This went on for about 2 months.  Obviously,
escaping moths is not an issue, never-the-less, Ray tells me that none
escaped.

If anyone is interested in seeing a review of the process the new CD
release of Silence of the Lambs has an interview with Ray Mendez.

Cheers,

Wayne Wehling




 
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