13 



L^?;'-"? tHomo .i(wu,-;,n 



that all iiiny be able to rccot;nizc it. SI ould it at any time prove troublesome, its large size 

 makes it so cons^piciK us, that it might be easily controlled by hand picking. 



No. 19. TIIK ABBOT SPHINX. (Thyrem Ahlmtii, Swainson.) 



Wc have never yet met with the larva of this insect, but have seen specimens of the 



moth, which were captured in the ncigl.bourhcod of Ilamilton,' Out. Doubtless, .some of our 



readers will have met with it. Figure 5 ihews both larva and moth. The following 



Fio. 5. description of this species occurs in >'r. 



Riley's second report, already alluded 

 to, which we shall take the liberty of 

 copying:— 



'■ This is another of the large grape 

 feeding insects occurring on the culti- 

 vated and indigenous vines, and on the 

 Virginia Creeper, and h:.ving, in a full 

 grown larva state, a poli.shed tubercle, 

 instead of a horn at the tail. Its habitat 

 is given by Dr. Clemens as New York, 

 Pennsylvania, Georgia, Massachusetts, 

 and Ohio ; but. though not so common 

 as the Fphinx moths previously described, 

 yet it is often met with both in Illinois 

 and Missouri. The larva, which is repre- 

 sented in the upper part of figure 5, 

 varies considerably in appiaiai.ce. Indeed, the ground colour seems to depend in a measure 

 on the sex, for Dr. Morris describes this larva as reddish brown, with numerous patches of 

 \ li-ht nreen, and expressly states that ih& fnimh is of a uniform rcddish-brown, with an inter- 

 rupted dark brown dorsal lino, and transverse strire. I have reared two individuals, which 

 came to their growth nbout the last of July, at which time they were both without a vestige 

 of'Teen The ground colour was dirty yellowish, esiccially at the sides. Each segment 

 was marked transversely with six or seven slightly impressed fine blnck lines and longitudi- 

 nally with wider non-impressed dark brown patches, alternating with each other and giving 

 the worm a checkered appearance. The.se patches become more dense along the subdorsal 

 region, where they form two irreaular dark lines, which, on the thoracic segments, become 

 single, with a similar line between them. There was also a dark sligmatal line with a 

 lighter .shade above it, and a dark stripe running obliquely downwards from the posterior to 

 the anterior porti. n of each .segment. The belly was yellow, with a tinge of pink between 

 f the prologs, and the shinv tubercle at the tail was black, with a yellowish ring around the 

 ■ base. The head, which "is characteristically marked, and by which this worm can always be 

 distinguished from its allies-no matter what the ground colour of the body may be- is 

 slightly roughened and dark, with a li^'htcr broad band on each side, and a central mark down 

 the middle, which often takes the form of an x. This worm docs not a.ssume the common 

 sphinx attitude of holding up the head, but rests .stretched at full length; though, if dis- 

 tu " 



and 

 to 



rbed, it will throw its head from side to side thereby producing a crepitating noise. 

 "The chrysali.s is formed in a superficial cell on the ground ; its surface is black a 

 roughened by confluent Junctures, but, between the joints, it is smooth, and inclines 

 brown ; the head case is "broad and rounded, and the tongue case is level with the breast ; the 

 tail termiaates in a rough flattened wedge-shaped point, which gives out two extremely small 



thorns from the end.'" ., , , • i . u a .^„«u 



" The moth appears in the following March or April, there being but one brood each 

 . It is of a dull chocolate or greyish brown colour, the front wings becoming lighter 



the fiuure. The hind wings 



year. , 



beyond the middle, and being variegated witli dark brown, as m , r i . r 



are sulphur-yellow, with a broad dark brown border, breaking into a series of short Imes. on 

 a flesh-coloured ground, near the body. The wings arc deeply scalloped, especially the front 

 ones, and the body is furnished with lateral tufts. When at rest, the abdomen is curiouslj 

 curved up in the air." 



Should this worm at any time become sufiioirntly numerous to prove 



destructive — 



