32 



BRITISH AKD EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



immediate vicinity. The larva feeds on willow, 

 poplar, apple, etc., in the Autumn. 



S. populi, Linn. ^The Poplar Hawk Moth. 

 PI. XV. fig. 6. Pupa 6a. is common in most 

 parts of the British Isles where poplar trees 

 grow. The larva is very like tliat of oullatus, 

 but more slender and of a more yellow- 

 ish green, often with large reddish brown 

 lateral spots. It feeds on poplar and willow 

 from July to October. Hybrids between ocel- 

 latiis and populi have occasionally been bred in 

 confinement. 



Genus Pterogon, Boisd. 



Antennas clubbed, longer than half the 

 length of the wing. Proboscis horny, and 

 longer than the head and thorax together. Body 

 covered with dense woolly hairs. The hind 

 margins of the wings are dentated. Larvae 

 with a round head, and a conspicuous oval 

 spot, centred with black, in place of a horn. 



P. proserpina. Pall. PI. XVI. fig. 2. 

 flies at the end of May and in June in South- 

 Central and Southern Europe. The larva is 

 dark bluish grey, varied with black. Belly 

 and sides pale rosy white. Stigmata red. 

 Prolegs flesh-colour. Horn replaced by a 

 shining round plate, marked with a red or 

 orange-coloured ocellated spot centred with 

 black. It feeds on Epilohium, Qiiwthera, and 

 Lythrum. When rearing the larvae, it is neces- 

 sary, when full-grown, to place them in strong 

 sunlight. The pupa is reddish brown with 

 darker sides. 



Genus Macroglossa, Ochs. 



Small hawk moths with short fore wings, 

 some species with transparent wings. Antennee 

 and proboscis as in the last Genus. Abdomen 

 flattish, with depressed hair, and a tuft of 

 hair on the sides of the last four segments 

 and at the extremity of the body. They fly 

 in the daytime, darting from flower to flower. 

 The larvEe are finely granulated, with a globular 

 head and a straight horn above the anus. 

 They pupate on the ground between dried 

 lea\-es, moss, etc., which they spin together. 



M. stellatarum, Linn. The Humming- 

 Bird Hawk Moth. PI. XVI. fig. 5. Larva 5a. 

 is common everywhere throughout the Summer. 

 It flies in the sunshine, especially in the after- 



noon, and sucks up honey from the flowers. 

 The larva feeds on Galium in July and August. 

 The moth hibernates. 



M. fuciformis, Linn. The Broad-bordered 

 Bee Hawk Moth. PI. XVI. fig. 3. Larva 3 a. 

 Pupa 3b. is generally distributed in the South 

 of England, and is local in other parts of the 

 Kingdom. It appears in May and June, and 

 frequents flowers in the neighbourhood of 

 woods in the daytime. The larva feeds on 

 honeysuckle in July and August, and the insect 

 passes the Winter in the pupa state. The 

 names of this and the following species are 

 transposed by many entomologists who follow 

 Ochsenheimer. 



M. bombyliformis, Esp. The Narrow- 

 bordered Bee Hawk Moth. PI. XVI. fig. 4. 

 is commoner in the Northern Counties of Eng- 

 land, and especially in Scotland and Ireland. 

 It is on the wing in May and June. The 

 larva is green, with a white line on each side, 

 on which is a I'eddish brown ring on each 

 segment. It feeds on Knautia arvcnsis and 

 Scahiosa columbaria in July. The pupa is formetl 

 in a loose cocoon on the surface of the ground. 



FAMILY 



S E S 1 1 D .-E. 



Fore wings long and narrow, with dark 

 margins. Hind wings clear. The fore wings 

 with 12 or 13 nervures, with an internal nervure, 

 which is generally very short. The costal 

 nervure is not branched. The hind wings 

 with a frenulum and seven or eight nervures, 

 and three separated internal nervures. The 

 ocelli are large, and the proboscis is horny, the 

 palpi three-jointed, scalv, and pubescent, pro- 

 jecting beyond the head. Antennas with the 

 terminal half thickened, with finely ciliated 

 branches in the male. Tibioe furnished with 

 long spines, the hind pair with four. They are 

 small moths, resembling various Hymenoptera 

 and Diptera, which has suggested most of their 

 specific names. They fly in the sunshine 

 about flowers. In the morning the newly- 

 emerged moth may sometimes be found sitting 

 on tree-trunks or on leaves. The larvro are 

 vermiform , almost colourless ; the head 

 darker, with strong horny mandibles. On 

 the first and last segment there is a horny 



