LEPIDOPTERA 655 



Family HYBL^ID^ 



This family is represented in our fauna by a single species, 

 Hyhlcsa puera, which is found in Florida. This moth has a wing- 

 expanse of about 35 mm. The fore wings are brown mottled with 

 indistinct spots of a darker shade; the hind wings are brown, with a 

 median band of three bright yellow spots margined with orange, and 

 a similar terminal spot. This is probably an introduced species. 

 In India the larva is a leaf -roller on teak. 



This species has been placed in the family Noctuid^ in our lists 

 of Lepidoptera ; but it is much more closely related to the Thyridids. 

 The venation of the wings is quite similar to that of Thyris; but the 

 maxillary palpi are large and triangular and the first anal vein of 

 the hind wings is present although weak ; while in the Th^^rididae the 

 maxillary palpi are minute and the first anal vein is lost. 



THE SPECIALIZED MACROFRENAT^ 



In the families included under this heading the insects are usually 

 of medium or large size. This division includes certain moths and 

 all skippers and butterflies. In these insects the anal area of the hind 

 wings is reduced, containing only one or two anal veins. In some the 

 frenulum is well-preserved, in others it is replaced by a broadly ex- 

 panded anal area of the hind wing. 



Family SPHINGID^ 

 The Hawk-moths or Sphinxes 



Hawk-moths are easily recognized by the form of the body, wings 

 and antennee. The body is very stout and spindle-shaped ; the wings 

 are long, narrow and very strong; the antennas are more or less 

 thickened in the middle or towards the tip, which is frequently curved 

 back in the form of a hook; rarely the antennae are pectinated. The 

 sucking-tube (maxillae) is usually very long, being in some instances 

 twice as long as the body; but in one subfamily it is short and mem- 

 branous. When not in use it is closely coiled like a watch-spring be- 

 neath the head. None of the species has ocelli. 



The venation of the wings (Fig. 806) is quite characteristic; the 

 most distinctive feature is the prominence of the basal part of vein 

 Ri of the hind wing, the part that extends from the stem of radius 

 to the subcosta. This free part of vein Ri has the appearance of a 

 cross-vein and is as stout as the other veins. In the comparatively 

 few cases in other families where the free part of the vein Ri has the 

 appearance of a cross-vein it is rarely as strong as the other veins. In 

 the hawk-moths the frenulum is usually well-preserved, but in a few it 

 is wanting or vestigial. In many genera veins R2 and R3 of the fore 

 wings coalesce throughout their length, which results in the radius 

 being only four-branched. 



