Genus 1.—SPHINX.

"A moderately large genus, ranging over the whole world, but principally characteristic of America. Imago flying at dusk, feeding on the wing."—(Meyrick.)

This genus is represented in New Zealand by one almost cosmopolitan species.

SPHINX CONVOLVULI, L.

(Protoparce distans, Butl. Sphinx convolvuli, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxii. 213.)

(Plate XIII., fig. 1.; Plate III., figs. 13 and 14 varieties of larvÆ.)

This handsome insect often occurs in the northern portions of the North Island, but becomes very rare southward of Napier and New Plymouth. In the South Island it has been taken at Nelson, and recently a very mutilated specimen of what appears to be this species has been found by Mr. Philpott, near West Plains, Invercargill. With these exceptions I have not heard of its appearance in any other localities in the South Island.

The larva feeds on Convolvulus. Like many of the caterpillars of the SphingidÆ, there are two very distinct varieties: one is bright green, with white spiracles, and a series of diagonal yellow lines above them; the other is dull yellowish-brown, with broad blackish-brown dorsal and ventral lines, and a series of triangular blackish spots above the spiracles, which in this variety are jet-black. In both these forms of larvÆ the anal horn is dark red tipped with black, and the skin is covered with numerous fine wrinkles. The length of the caterpillar when full grown is 3½ inches.

About the middle or end of February these larvÆ generally bury themselves in the ground, where they are transformed into pupÆ. They remain in that condition until the following summer.

The pupa is about 2 inches in length and is of a dark mahogany-brown colour. It is furnished with a large curved process, projecting from the lower side of the head, and containing the enormous proboscis of the future moth.

The perfect insect appears in November and December. It flies with incredible velocity at evening dusk, and is often observed hovering over flowers, and whilst poised in the air above them, extracts the honey with its long proboscis. Mr. A. P. Buller has very kindly furnished me with the following interesting notes on the habits of this species, as observed by him in the Auckland district:—

"During the summer of 1879 I came across S. convolvuli in great numbers, near Ohinemutu, in the Hot Lake district, frequenting at dusk a tall, delicately perfumed meadow flower (Œnothera biennis, commonly called the evening primrose). They were to be seen on the wing soon after sundown, and on warm, still evenings literally swarmed. It was an extremely pretty sight to watch their rapid movements as they darted from flower to flower, never alighting, and keeping up a constant vibration of their wings as they probed the yellow blossoms. They appeared to be extremely local, for I only met with them on a few of the grassy slopes round the shores of Lake Rotorua. I visited the same locality two years later, at the same season, and only occasionally saw one, although the evening primrose was in full bloom at the time. In 1882 I captured several at flowers of the trumpet-tree (Brugmansia) in a garden near Auckland. The same summer I found large numbers of the larvÆ at Waiwera (near Auckland), on a species of convolvulus growing in profusion on the sandhills in the vicinity. Although the larvÆ were so abundant I never came across the perfect insect. I obtained some twenty or thirty of the pupÆ, but unfortunately was never successful in hatching out the imago. As far as my knowledge goes, this beautiful moth is confined to the Auckland and Waikato districts, although I have heard of a single specimen being taken in Hawkes Bay."

I am also much indebted to Mr. Buller for the loan of a very perfect specimen of this moth, expressly lent to me for figuring and describing in the present work.

Mr. Meyrick informs us that this insect occurs throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the islands of the South Pacific, wherever a suitable situation is found, and has been met with far out at sea.^[43] In America it is represented by a form which seems to be regarded as specifically distinct, but which he thinks is probably identical. If this be the case the insect is practically cosmopolitan.

III.—THE LASIOCAMPINA.

Not represented in New Zealand.

IV.—THE PAPILIONINA.

The Papilionina are distinguished by the following characters:—

This is one of the most interesting groups of the Lepidoptera. The insects comprised in it are popularly known as butterflies, and from their bright colouring and conspicuous appearance are always favourites with beginners. The Papilionina attain great development in the tropics, especially in South America, where, it is said, a single valley sometimes contains as many species as the whole of Europe. In New Zealand there are only fifteen species of butterflies, the group being extremely poorly represented both here and in the South Pacific Islands.

Formerly the Papilionina was known as the Rhopalocera, and was regarded as constituting a division of equivalent value to the remainder of the Lepidoptera, which was termed the Heterocera. For some time past entomologists have, however, practically abandoned this classification of the order, the Heterocera, or moths, being clearly composed of several groups each of equivalent value to the Rhopalocera, or butterflies. Mr. Meyrick states in his 'Handbook of British Lepidoptera' that the Papilionina "stands rather conspicuously isolated at the present day, but there is little doubt that its origin must be traced to the ThyrididÆ, a family of the Pyralidina."

In this group the wings are generally held erect in repose, the under surface of the hind-wings and the apical portion of the under surface of the fore-wings being nearly always protectively coloured, these being portions of the wings exposed to view when the insect is at rest. There is an unusual amount of ornamental colouring on the upper surface. The flight is invariably diurnal. The larva has ten prolegs.

The three following families of Papilionina are represented in New Zealand:—

1. NymphalidÆ.2. SatyridÆ.3. LycÆnidÆ.