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Superfamily SPHINGOIDEA 



The members of this superfamily retain but one generalized char- 

 acter, the presence of exposed portions of the prothoracic femora in 

 some of the more generalized forms. The shape of the pupa is almost 

 as distinctive as that of the larva, being usually fusiform, often with 

 the head distinctly narrower than the thorax, giving the body a 

 "shouldered" appearance. The epicranial suture is never present, the 

 only distinct head suture remaining being that adjacent to the proxi- 

 mal end of each antenna. The wings and maxillae are unusually long 

 in most members of this superfamily and various means are taken to 

 accomodate the extra length, particularly of the maxillae. The fourth 

 abdominal segment is usually longer on the ventral surface than on 

 the dorsal,- and the wings are seldom broadly rounded at their caudal 

 margins, but usually somewhat pointed. The position of the head is 

 also changed in many species and found almost, or entirely, on the 

 dorsal surface of the body. The mandibles are often very conspic- 

 uous, being represented by strongly elevated tubercles. The protho- 

 racic legs are usually about half the length of the wings and the meso- 

 thoracic legs three fourths of their length. The metathoracic legs are 

 seldom visible. The antennae are for the most part filiform and vary 

 from two fifths to three fourths the length of the wings. In the genera 

 Smerinthus, Paonias, Marumba, and Cressonia the antennae are con- 

 siderably wider at their proximal end and slightly pectinate, being 

 larger and longer in the male, and the whole appearance of the body 

 reminds one strongly of the Saturniidae. These genera are in 

 many respects the most specialized of the Sphingoidea, and some of 

 them are found in cocoons. It is an interesting fact that the most spe- 

 cialized forms in nearly all of the subfamilies of Sphingidae exam- 

 ined, show relationship to the Saturniidae. This group is therefore 

 considered as related to the Saturnioidea but more generalized. Cer- 

 tain of its members resemble in some respects the Pyralididae and 

 Gelechiidae. A cremaster is always present, usually triangular in out- 

 line and often slightly bifurcate at the distal end. The abdomen often 

 shows three or four transverse depressions on each segment which cor- 

 respond to the annulet-like rings on the body of the larva. Except in 

 rare instances the scar of the caudal horn of the larva is visible on the 

 dorsum of the eighth abdominal segment. 



This superfamily contains a single family, the Sphingidae. For the 

 most part the genera are easily distinguished, but there were no char- 

 acters found that served to separate the genera Smerinthus and 

 Paonias. The generic names of Dyar's list have been used as far as 

 possible. A monograph of this family, giving tables and descriptions 



