PLATE XXV.

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SPHINX CAROLINA.

Plate XXV. fig. 1.

Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Crepuscularia. Family: SphingidÆ, Leach.

Genus. Sphinx, Auct.

Sphinx Carolina. Alis anticis fusco cinereoque variis, posticis fasciis 3-4 fuscis exterioribus dentatis; cili albo nigroque variÂ, abdomine maculis 10-12 lateralibus luteis. (Expans. Alar. 5 unc.)

Syn. Sphinx Carolina, Linn. S. N. 2. 798. No. 7. Brown. Jam. 438. t. 43. f. 17. Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. p. 363. No. 25. Gmel. Linn. S. N. 2377. No. 7. Stephens Ill. Brit. Ent. H. 1. 118. Abbot & Smith, Ins. Georg. tab. 33. Curtis Brit. Ent. v. pl. 1. 197.

Habitat: New York, Maryland, Virginia.

Upper Side. AntennÆ internally white, but externally brown. The head, thorax, and abdomen of a rusty grey brown; the sides of the latter having five oblong yellow spots, intersected by black lines, on each of which is a small white spot placed between the yellow ones. Anterior wings rusty grey brown, with a white spot at the base, and another small discoidal white one; a narrow irregular indented line of white begins near the interior angle, and runs nearly to the tip; several indented lines, nearly black, cross the wings, more or less distinct. Cilia brown, spotted with white. Posterior wings brown, darkest in the middle, the shoulders being nearly black, with an indented narrow bar of ash colour running across them, from the middle of the anterior edges to the anal angle; below this is a narrow black one, answering and joining to it.

Under Side. Breast and abdomen ash-coloured. Anterior wings brown, without any marks or shades, except two very faint undulated dark lines crossing them. Posterior wings, next the body, ash-coloured; the remainder being like the anterior, with some faint dark lines crossing them.

According to Abbot the caterpillar is pale green, with white lateral oblique stripes, and a pink tail. It is said to feed on the potato, tobacco, red pepper (Capsicum?), &c. One of these caterpillars, observed by Abbot, went into the ground on the 19th of June, and came out on the 15th of July; whilst another went in on the 8th of July, and came out on the 1st of August. The caterpillar is stated by the same author to be very destructive in plantations of tobacco, the cultivators being obliged to pick them carefully off the young plants. The chrysalis is of a chesnut colour, with a long nearly straight tongue case, extending to the middle of the breast, and clubbed at the end. The moth is generally seen in an evening, sucking the James-town weed and gourd blossoms, and continues breeding all the summer; the moth is common in the West Indies, as well as in Georgia and Carolina. Dr. Brown says it is called the musquito hawk, from its appearing at that time of the evening when those insects abound, and being vulgarly but erroneously supposed to prey upon them. Abbot and Smith, loc. cit.

Specimens of this American insect have from time to time been captured in this country. "It unquestionably cannot," however observes Mr. Stephens, "be considered as indigenous, and ought to be rigidly excluded from our cabinets; otherwise the most perplexing consequences must inevitably arise, to the total confusion of our inquiries into the geographical distribution of insects. If this be admitted, as well might 'the noble monarch of the forest,' because a captive lioness which had escaped from her prison was retaken on Salisbury Plain."

SYNTOMIS PHEGEA.

Plate XXV. fig. 2.

Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Crepuscularia.? Family: ZygÆnidÆ, Leach.

Genus. Syntomis, Illiger. ZygÆna, Rossi. Fabr. Sphinx, Linn.

Syntomis Phegea. Viridi-atra alarum punctis fenestratis, anticarum sex, posticarum duobus; abdomine cingulo luteo. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 9 lin.)

Syn. Sphinx Phegea, Linn. Syst. Nat. 2. 805. 35. God. Lepid. du Franc. pl. 22. f. 14.

ZygÆna QuercÛs, Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. 388. No. 6.

Syntomis QuercÛs, Latr. Genera Crust. et Ins. 4. p. 213.

Sphinx du Pissenlit, Engram Pap. d'Eur.

Habitat: Germany.

Upper Side. AntennÆ black, filiform, with the tips white. Head and thorax black. Abdomen dark green, almost black; on the top, next the thorax, is a deep yellow spot like gold, and near the extremity a ring of the same golden yellow extends just below the sides. Anterior wings dark green; having six transparent spots, one next the shoulders, two in the middle, and three next the tips. Posterior wings of the same colour as the superior, with two transparent spots on them.

Under Side. Breast and abdomen dark green; on each side the breast are two golden yellow spots. All the wings are coloured and marked as on the upper side.

GLAUCOPIS FENESTRATA.

Plate XXV. fig. 3.

Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Crepuscularia? Family: ZygÆnidÆ, Leach.

Genus. Glaucopis, Fabr. Charidea, Dalm. Sphinx, Linn.

Glaucopis Fenestrata. Alis anticis nigris, macul magn discoidali fere ocellat fenestratÂ, posticis fenestratis margine nigro, pedibus palpisque coccineis. (Expans. Alar. 2 unc. 6 lin.)

Syn. Sphinx Fenestrata, Drury, App. v. 2.

Habitat: Jamaica.

Upper Side. AntennÆ nearly black, and pectinated. Head and eyes black. Palpi small and long, and of a fine scarlet. Tongue spiral. Thorax blueish green, almost black. Abdomen dark brown. Anterior wings the same, the middle part being perfectly transparent like glass, wherein is a dark cloud which is joined to the anterior margin. Posterior wings small, transparent, with a dark brown narrow border running round their edges, which at the upper corners is broad where it becomes cloud-like.

Under Side. Breast dark brown. Legs and thighs scarlet, which colour extends along the middle of the abdomen, almost to the tail, where it becomes a little fainter, being crossed by the rings of the abdomen, which are black and very narrow. All the wings of the same colour as on the upper side.

SPHINX CINGULATA.

Plate XXV. fig. 4.

Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Crepuscularia. Family: SphingidÆ, Leach.

Genus. Sphinx, Auct.

Sphinx Cingulata. Alis anticis cinereo atroque undatis, puncto parvo discoidali; posticis nigro fasciatis, basi sanguineis, abdominis fasciis alternis interruptis sanguineis et atris. (Expans. Alar. 4 unc. 6 lin.)

Syn. Sphinx Cingulata, Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. 395. No. 56.

Sphinx Convolvuli var. Drury, Append. vol. 2. (Exclus. Syn. Gmel. Linn. S. N. 2376. No. 6.) Abbot and Smith Ins. Georg. 1. tab. 32.

Habitat: St. Christopher's.

Upper Side. AntennÆ white on one side, and brown on the other. Thorax dark brown, with several curved lines running across it from one shoulder to the other. The abdomen, on the upper part is beautifully encircled with five rings of rose colour, and six of black, extending to its sides, having on the top of it a line of a rusty brown, which runs from the base to the extremity. Anterior wings brown chesnut, marked with lighter and darker clouds, some of which are almost black; having a lighter spot near the middle, and not far from the anterior margin. Posterior wings at the base black, but along the external edges of a grey brown, the middle being occupied by three bars of red, ash, and faint rose colours, separated by three black waved lines crossing them from the anterior to the interior. Cilia brown spotted with white.

Under Side. Breast and abdomen ash-coloured; along the latter are five dark spots (the middle ones the largest) placed at the bottom of the five segments near the breast. Anterior wings dark hazel, immaculate. Posterior wings of the same colour along the anterior and external margins; but next the shoulders and inner edges are of a grey ash colour; a dark coloured line begins near the anal angle, where it is almost black, and runs across the wing, ending at the middle of the anterior edge; from whence to the middle it resembles a row of arches joined together.

The caterpillar of this insect, according to Abbot and Smith, is brown, with four dorsal dark flesh-coloured lines, and a series of short lateral oblique cream-coloured marks united together over the legs. It feeds upon the sweet potatoe plant (Convolvulus Batatas, Linn.), and is sometimes frequent though the moth is rare. The chrysalis is chesnut, with a long curved tongue case, the extremity of which is recurved. It is often dug up with the potatoes. In Virginia one of these insects buried itself October 3rd, and came forth in the perfect state on the 30th of May; whilst one observed in Georgia went into the ground on the 20th of August, and came out the 11th of September.

This species was considered by Drury and Smith as a climatal variety of the EuropÆan Sphinx Convolvuli. Fabricius, however, considered it distinct, and designated it by the specific name adopted above.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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