INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



385 



Distribution. — This moth is common throughout the entire State, hut 

 is most troublesome in the central valleys. 



Fig. 3S4. — Adult female of the achemon sphinx. Phohts 

 ackemon (Drury). Natural size. (Original) 



Food Plants. — The caterpillars feed upon wild and cultivated grape- 

 vines and the Virginia creeper. The tender-leaved varieties of grapes 

 are specially preferred and vineyards are sometimes entirely stripped 

 of their foliage by the large numbers of the larva 1 . 



THE TOBACCO WORM 



Protoparce quinquemaculata Hawortlr" 



[Phlegethontvus quinquemaculatus (Haworth) ] 



(Sphinx celeus Hiibner) 



(Fig. 385) 



Description. — All forms of this species greatly resemble those of 

 the tomato worm in size and general appearance. The lateral oblique, 

 white stripes of the larva 1 do not extend as far up the back in the 

 tobacco worm as in the tomato worm. There are also longitudinal 

 white stripes below the spiracles, forming "VV with the oblique 

 stripes. The horn at the tip of the body is black. The pupae have a 

 much longer tongue sheath in this species than in the tomato worm. 

 The adults are about the same size, but those of the tobacco worm are 

 duller with less distinct white markings. The abdomen is more 

 pointed; the spots are lighter orange in color and two less in number 

 than in the tomato worm. 



Distribution. — The tobaceo worm occurs throughout the entire State 

 and is one of the common insects. 



Food Plants. — The principal food plants of this insect are tobacco 

 and tomato, though it feeds upon potato and various other members 

 of the SolanacecE. 



274 The latest revision of the Sphinffidce by Hon. w. Rothschild ami K. Jordan restores 

 this species to Protoparce. 



25—13664 



