( 4 ) 



liiii'vac r,\ liiuliiciil, or f^lij^litly (ajioriiig iii iVunI, luit tlieii graimldse ; liead 

 large suhI nuiiKknl, oi' triangular, always rdundi'd in first stage. — Cosmc)|>olitaii. 

 Here belong tbe subfamilies Achehonthnae and Ambulicinae. 



8i;isi'A5iiLv Acherontiinae. — Typiis : Ai-licrontin ah-oijoa. 



Manducac Hubiier, Virz. bck. Schm. p. 138 (1822) (partim). 



Sjihhiijiiii Grote i*t Robinson, Proc. Ent. Sue. riiilad. v. p. Kil (18G0) (partim ; noiii. uud.). 



'■ Aclu^roiitides" Boisiluval, Spcr. Geii. Lqi. Hit. i. p. 4 (1875). 



"Kiiryglottidos" id., I.e. p. ,58 (1875) (partim). 



Arh-nmtihuie Butler, r;v».v, Ztml. Sue. Loud. ix. p. 517 (1877). 



Sphinijiiiac id., /.r. (1877) (partim). 



Owing to tbe tVefjuent reduction or obliteration of a number of organs in tbis 

 subi'amily and tbe Ambulicinae, tbere is no single distinguisbing cbaracter applying 

 to all sjiecies. Tbe two subt\xmilies can, bowever, be separated by taking several 

 cbaraeters togetber, as explained under Ambulicinae (see tbis subfamily). 



Tbe subfamily is divided into tbree tribes, of wbicb tbe tbird comes very near 

 tbe Ambulicinae in several resi^ects : Acherontiicae, Sphingicae, Sphingulicae. 



Tbibe Acherontiicae.— Tyjius : Achcrontia atropos. 



Manducac Hiibnor, I.e. (1822) (partim). 

 " Achcrontides " Boisduval, I.e. 

 Acherontiinae Butler, I.e. 



c??. Palpus on tbe innerside witbout basal patcb of sbort sensory bairs ; 

 second segment impressed, this cavity covered by a roof of long scales (PI. LX. f. 1). 

 Labrum raised to form a rounded carina, wbicb is bigbest mesially. Tongue 

 strong, eitber longer tban tbe body or sborter tban tbe tborax — in the latter case 

 (^Achcrontia) very stout. Genal process very small. Second segment of j)alpus 

 considerably sborter tban tbe first, tbird small ; first externally witb deep apical 

 cavity in scaling in Megacorma. Antennal segments impressed laterally in S ; 

 snbprismatic, with tbe sides ratber rounded in ? , distal segments compressed, in 

 transsection elongate-elliptic, in side-view subserrate dorsally as well as ventrally ; 

 end-segment long and thin, witb long scales and bristles. Abdominal tergites and 

 sternites with several irregular rows of spines at the aj)ieal margins. S})urs of 

 tibiae unequal, hindtibia with two pairs ; pulvillus present or absent ; paronycbiuiu 

 with two lobes or one on each side. 



c?. Scent-organ of anterior coxa present, but not always conspicuous. Tenth 

 abdominal tergite long, more or less pointed. Clasper rough witb short spiniform 

 setae near the apex of the harpe ; tbe patch of friction-scales on the outer side, 

 if present, large, consisting of mnltideutate scales ; apical edge of clasper with 

 bristles, whicii arc sometimes (^Coelonia) short and stout, spiniform. Harpe short, 

 divided into two or three processes, the upper process armed at tbe edge with long 

 teeth in Megacorma. 



? . In front of the vaginal orifice there is a flap, rounded, truncate, or divided. 



Larva cylindrical, head and first segments smaller ; a green and a black form 

 with intergradations ; thorax sometimes (Coelonia) witb humps. Larva of Mega- 

 corma not known. — Food : Solanaceae, Convolvulaceae, seldom Euphorbiaccae. 



