( 76 ) 



in size. Alidoiiu'ii witlmiit (listincf white oeminate dorsal dots. Armature of 

 Ibretarsiis similar to that of nf/licta. JS'o pulvilhis. 



_(?. Tenth tcrgite pointed, not sinnate ; sternite (I'l. XXVII. f. 11). 2(t) ohtnsely 

 pointed, lateral margins cnrved upward, ohliijnely truncate distally. ('lasper 

 elongate sole-shajied, distal portion of dorsal margin dilated and cnrved inward ; 

 liarpe with a ventral, acute, rather long, conical process ; the dentate lobe 

 individually variable, dorsally trnucate, distal angle acute or rounded, dentition 

 often vestigial (PI. XXXIX. f. G. 7). Penis-sheafli with a single apical tootli, 

 which is almost horizontal, pointing very feebly distad (PI. XXIX. f. 24). 



¥. Eighth tergite of abdomen truncate with the angles rounded, mesially with 

 a triangular impression. Antevagiual lobe (PL XX. f. 4) broad, transverse, 

 apical margin slightly, and angles strongly rounded, structure of surface 

 variable ; oblique ridges low, widely separate proximally (PI. XX. f. 4). Plate 

 of seventh sternite ol>viously sinuate at apex. 



Larva green, with seven white oblique bands which extend over two segments ; 

 liorn little curved, with small granules. 



Ildb. Neotropical Region. 



^Ve distinguish three subspecies : 



rdiffissa from Argentina and Paraguay. 



„ , . \pe(uniue from Sta. Catharina to Minas Geraes. 



j tropindis from the countries north and east of the province of 

 V Minas Geraes as far nortii as ( 'olombia. 



a. P. pptuniKC dijfissa. 



Sphinx cesiri, Boisduval {nmi Blanchard, 1854), Sjjec. Gen. Lep. Het. i. p. 70. n. 4 (1875) (partim) 

 Paraguay) ; Burm., Dasrv. Rep. Argent, v. p. 321. n. 2 (1878) (partim ; Buenos AjTe.i, 

 Mendoza, Tucuman, Paraguay) ; id., he. Ath.t p. .31. ,57. t. 12. f. 5 (/.). 11 (/)). (1879). 



Sphhu petuniae var., Boisduval, I.e. p. 74. sub n. 5. t. 5. f . 2 ( ? ) (1875) (Buenos Ayres). 



*Sphiiix diffiisaa Butler, Proc. ZooL Soc. Lund. p. 82 (1871) (Buenos Ayres). 



Protoparce rl/ffissa id., Trans. ZooL Soc. Loud. ix. p. G07. n. 7. (1877) (Buenos Ayres). 



Phlegethontiiis dlffissa, Kirby, Cat. Lep. Ilet. i. p. 689. u. 22 (18;(2) (Buenos Ayres). 



Protoparce d/ffusa (l), Druce, Biol. Centr. Amer. Lep. Ilet. Siqypl. p. 315 (1890) (diff. iram peluniae). 



c? ? . A small pale southern form. The black postdiscal line of the forewing 

 strongly marked, while the white submarginal zigzag line is not prominent, being 

 generally barely indicated ; the lines are sometimes all obsolescent, except the black 

 postdiscal one. 



Larva with 7 white lateral bands ; stigmata white, three blue dots near each. 



Had. Argentina, common as larva on Cestrum ; Paraguay. 



In the Tring Museum 8 cJ c?, 8 ? ? from Argentina. 



b. P. petuniae petuniae. 



*Sphinx petuniae Boisduval, I.e. n. 5 (1875) (Rio de Janeiro ;^coll. Charles Oberthiir). 

 Phlegethont'ms diffissa, Kirby, I.e. p. 689. n. 22 (1892) (partim). 



Phlegetontius(\) petuniae (?), Peters, Illiist. Zeitschr. Ent. ni. Heft. 22. t. 1. f. 6 (1898) (larva). 

 Phlegctontius (\) petuniae, Bonninghausen, L'is xii. p. 110. n. 4 (1898) (Rio de Janeiro). 



S ? . The forewing on the whole more russet than in the tropical form ; the 

 ground colour variable, there occurring darker and paler s])ecimens. 



Larva : according to Peters' figure with 7 side-bands which have dark (red) 

 borders (correct ?). 



