HETEROCERA: MOTHS. 



Moths are distinguislied from butterflies 

 principally by the shape of the antenna;, which 

 are fusiform, filiform, setiform, or pectinated, and 

 never in European species clubbed as in butter- 

 flies, the nearest approach to this being in the 

 Genus Zygana. Moths generally fly at dusk or at 

 night, and when at rest hold the wings horizon- 

 tally or drooping over the bod}'. Most of them 

 have a terminal tuft on the abdomen. There 

 are four great groups of the larger moths : namely 

 Sphinges, Bombyces, Nodiur, and Geometra. 



SPHINGES. 



AntennjE thickened gradually towards the 

 extremity. Body stout. Fore wings long and 

 narrow, the hind margin shorter than the inner 

 margin. Hind wings much smaller than the 

 fore wings, and held erect or sloping when 

 at rest. 



FAMILY 



SPHINGID.^i. 



Large and medium-sized moths with a thick 

 body and powerful wings. The fore wings 

 elongated and pointed, with eleven or twelve 

 nervures and a free nervure on the inner 

 margin. The antenna; in the male with two 

 rows of bristles, those of the lower row being 

 slightly hooked. The palpi large and broad, 

 arched externally, and thickly set with scales 

 and hairs. Proboscis generally long and 

 horny, and hidden between the large palpi. 

 Eyes large ; no ocelli. These moths generally 

 fly at dusk, but some fly by day, and have 

 a very powerful flight. The larvEE are cylin- 

 drical, smooth or granulated, and generally 

 with a horn on the last segment but one. 



Genus Acherontia, Ochs. 



This Genus is distinguished by the very 

 broad abdomen, which is not much pointed 

 at the extremity. The antenna; are hooked 

 at the tip, and are slightly thicker in the 

 middle than at the ends. The head is broad, 

 and the eyes very prominent. The proboscis 

 is short and thick. The hind tibiae are cylin- 

 drical, with two pairs of spines. 



A. atropos, Linn. The Death's Head 

 Hawk Moth. PI. XHL fig. i. Larva la. is 

 widely distributed over Europe. In the 

 British Isles it varies in abundance in 

 different years, but is seldom very common. 

 It usually appears in September or October, 

 or else in June from hibernated pupae. The 

 moth flies late at night, and sucks the juices 

 of trees. It is very fond of honey, but prefers 

 to rob the hives rather than collect it from 

 flowers. Not only is the moth able to emit 

 a sound, but also the larva and pupa. The 

 sound made by the moth resembles the squeak 

 of a mouse, and that made by the pupa is 

 somewhat similar ; how they are produced has 

 been a subject of much discussion. That 

 produced by the caterpillar is rather of a 

 grating character, and is probabl}' caused by 

 the friction of its jaws. The larva is found in 

 the Summer, feeding chiefly on potato-leaves. 

 Other plants on whicli it sometimes feeds 

 are Lycium harbaviim, Datura, jasmine, Eiionymus, 

 and Solannni (nightshade). It is found most 

 abundant!}' in potato fields, where it may be 

 discovered hiding in the daytime, by looking 

 for the excrement. It assumes the pupa state 

 in the ground, and does not generally survive 

 if removed from it. 



