/^ 



547. 



ZYG^NA FILIPENDUL^. 



The Six-spot Burnet Sphinx. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Zygaenidae. 



Type of the Genus, Sphinx Filipendulse Linn. 

 Ztg^ena Fab., Och., Haw., Goda, Curt. — Anthrocera Scop. — Ther- 

 mophila, Lycastes and Mesembrynus Hub. 



Antenme inserted on the crown of the head (H s), somewhat ap- 

 proximating, rather long in the male, curved, clavate and bent, 

 pointed and simjile at the apex, composed of numerous, velvety 

 short joints (1, a portion of the apex). 



MaxillcE slender, spiral, as long as the antennae and destitute of 

 tentacula (3). Palpi attached to the base (3 a) formed of 2 sub- 

 globose joints, distinctly articulated and clothed with long bristly 

 scales. 



Labial palpi projecting beyond the head, clothed with long hairy 



scales beiaeath, the apex pointed (4) ; triarticulate, basal joint 



long, inflated and curved, 2nd short narrow and elliptical, 3rd 



small and ovate (4 a) . 



Head short with a tuft of hairs on the crotvn : eyes globose prominent 



and lateral (7): ocelli.'' 2 rather large and someivhat behind the an- 



iennce (H o), with 2 semitransparent dots between these and the eyes 



(p). Thorax and Abdomen hairy, the latter somewhat cleft at the 



apex in the male, stouter and ovate-conic in the female. Wings very 



much defiexed in repose, superior lanceolate, inferior much smaller: 



cilia very short. Thighs short : tibiae, anterior the shortest ivith an 



internal spine, the others with minute spurs at the apex, the hinder 



with a very minute pair also a little above the apical ones (8 f) : tarsi 



nearly of equal length, 5-jointed, basal joint the longest: claws curved 



and acute ; pulviUi small. Larvae slightly attenuated at both ends, 



pubescent, head minute with 6 pectoral, 8 abdominal and 2 anal feet. 



Pupae inclosed in a boat-shaped silken cocoon, very smooth and of very 



close texture. 



FiLiPENDUL^ ZzVm. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 782. 3. 



Greenish-black : superior wings dark satiny gi*een, with 3 pairs 

 of intense crimson spots : inferior wings crimson with an irre- 

 gular blue margin, very narrow in the females ; upper side of 

 antennae and abdomen of the male blue : inside of legs espe- 

 cially the thighs and tibiae tawny. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



The beautiful satiny green or blue upper wings spotted with 

 the purest carmine, with under wings of the same brilliant co- 

 lour, distinguish this group from all others. Savigny has de- 

 scribed the labial palpi of 2. Scabiosce as formed of 2 joints, and 

 has represented them so in his beautiful outlines, but in our 

 species there were three ; the apical one being densely clothed 

 with scales rendered it difficult to detect. I discovered 2 trans- 

 parent dots close to the antennae (fig. H p) which I had not 

 before observed in any insect, and the ocelli are very large. 

 The Zygenas fly by day, but are very sluggish and heavy on 



