220 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS 



imperfect cocoons composed of leaves fastened together with silk. One 

 hundred species of hawk-moths occur in this country. The following are 

 some of the more common ones. 



The twin-spotted sphinx, Smerinthus geminatus. — This exquisitely- 

 colored moth expands about 

 2 1 inches. The thorax is gray 

 with a velvety dark brown spot 

 in the middle. The fore wings 

 are gray, with a faint rosy tint 

 in some specimens, and tipped 

 and banded with brown as 

 shown in Figure 378. The 

 hind wings are deep carmine 

 fig. 378. - Smerinthus geminatus. at t k e middle, and are bordered 



with pale tan or gray. Near the anal angle there is a large black spot 

 in which there is a pair of blue spots, which suggested the name gem- 

 inatus. The larva feeds upon the leaves of apple, plum, elm, ash, and 

 willow. 



The pen-marked sphinx, Sphinx chersis. — This moth is of an almost 

 evenly distributed ashy-gray color. This sombre color is relieved some- 

 what by a black band on each side of the abdomen, marked with four or 

 five white transverse bars; by two dark brown, smoky bands which cross 

 the hind wings; and by a series of black dashes on the fore wings, one in 

 each cell between the apex of the wing and the anal vein. These dashes 

 appear as if drawn casually with a pen. The larva is not uncommon 

 upon ash and lilac; it is greenish or bluish-white above, and darker 

 below; there are seven oblique yellow bands on the sides of the body, 

 each edged above with dark green. When disturbed it assumes the 

 threatening attitude shown in Figure 377. 



The tomato-worm, Protoparce quinquemaculata. — This larva is the 

 best known of all our sphinxes, as it may be found feeding on the leaves 

 of tomato, tobacco, or potato wherever these plants are grown in our 

 country. It resembles in its general appearance the larva of Sphinx 

 chersis (Fig. 377); but is stouter and has a series of pale longitudinal 

 stripes low down on each side, in addition to the oblique stripes; and 

 its favorite attitude is with the fore end of the body slightly raised. It 

 is usuallv green, but individuals are often found that are brown, or even 

 black. There appear at frequent intervals in the newspapers accounts of 

 people being injured by a poison 

 excreted by the caudal horn of this 

 larva; but there is absolutely no 

 foundation whatever for such stories. 

 The pupa (Fig. 379) is often ploughed 

 up in gardens, and attracts at- 

 tention on account of its curious 

 tongue-case a part of which is free 

 resembling the handle of a pitcher. The moth is a superb creature, ex- 

 panding four or five inches. It is of many delicate shades of ash-gray, 

 marked with black or very dark gray; there arc a few short black dashes 

 on the fore part of the thorax, and some irregular black spots edged 

 with white on the posterior part; the abdomen is gray with a black 

 middle line, and five yellow, almost square spots along each side. Each 



Fir,. 379. — Protoparce quinquemaculata, pupa. 



