CLEAR-WING MOTHS OF FAMILY AEGERIIDAE 41 



RAMOSIA TIPULIFORMIS (Clerck) 



Sphinx tipuliformis Clerck, Icones insectorum rariorum cum nominibus eorum trivi- 

 alibus, pi. 4, fig. 1, 1759. — Linnaeus, Fauna Suecica, ed. 2, p. 289, 1761 ; Systema 

 naturae, ed. 12, vol. 1, p. 804, 1766. 



Sesia tipuliformis Fabricius, Systema entomologiae, p. 549, 1775. 



Trochilium tipuliformis Leach, Edinburgh encyclopedia, vol. 9, p. 131, 1815. 



Bembecia tipuliformis Hubner, Verzeichniss bekannter Schmetterlinge, p. 129, 1819. 



Aegeria tipuliformis Stephens, Illustrations of British entomology : Haustellata, 

 vol. 1, p. 142, 1828.— Hy. Edwards, Papilio, vol. 2, p. 56, 1882; Ent. Amer., 

 vol. 3, p. 224, 1888. 



Setia tipuliformis Meigen, Systematische Beschreibung der europaischen Schmetter- 

 linge, vol. 2, p. 119, pi. 42, figs. 2, b, 1830. 



Trochilium tipuliform^ Fitch, Third report on the noxious and other insects of the 

 State of New York, 1856, p. 423, 1857.— Packard, Amer. Nat., vol. 2, p. 219, 

 1869. — Spuler, Die Schmetterlinge Europas, vol. 2, p. 310, 1910; vol. 3, pi. 20, 

 fig. 19, pi. 79, fig. 6, 1910. 



Sesia tipuliformis Beutenmuller, Mem. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 1, pt. 6, p. 285, 

 pi. 31, fig. 19, 1901. 



Synanthedon tipuliformis Bartel, in Seitz, The Macrolepidoptera of the World. 

 Palearctic Aegeriidae, vol. 2, p. 384, pi. 51d, 1912. — McDunnough, Check list 

 of the Lepidoptera of Canada and the United States of America, pt. 2, No. 8708, 

 1939. 



Male. — Antennae black, rufous beneath. Labial palpi yellow, black 

 above and at the sides. Head lustrous black, orbits white. Collar 

 yellow. Thorax black-violaceous, patagia narrowly edged with yellow 

 inwardly; metathorax without a transverse yellow mark; a large yellow 

 patch on each side beneath. Abdomen lustrous black; segments 2, 4, 6, 

 and 7 narrowly banded with yellow above and at the sides, very faintly 

 beneath ; anal tuft fan-shaped, lustrous black above, sparsely mixed with 

 yellow beneath. Legs purplish black, posterior tibia yellow beneath and 

 on inner side and with a yellow tuft at the lower spurs; tarsi purplish 

 black above, yellow beneath. Forewing transparent, costa, veins, and 

 large discal mark black- violaceous ; the broad, marginal border in a 

 straight proximal edge heavily shaded with golden yellow or coppery 

 between the veins; fringes pale, sordid black; beneath as above, the 

 costa more yellowish. Hindwing transparent, narrowly margined with 

 shiny black, above and beneath. 



Female. — Similar to the male in color but with abdominal segments 

 2, 4, and 6 more narrowly banded with yellow; anal tuft short, blunt, 

 depressed in the middle, blue-black. 



Expanse : Male and female, 16 to 20 mm. 



Distribution. — Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, New Zealand. 



Remarks. — Since its introduction into North America this insect 

 has become established through the continent wherever currants and, to 

 a lesser extent, gooseberries and raspberries are cultivated. Wild species 

 of the plant genus Ribes do not appear to be affected. The moths vary 

 very little in size and coloration. The eggs are laid in crevices of the 



