54 IJ.OVDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



SUB-FAMILY VI. SMERINTHIN.E. 



In this sub-family the antennae are shghtly pectinated in the 

 male, the body is stout, and the wings are shorter and less 

 pointed than is usual in the more typical SpJiingidce. The 

 wings are usually more or less dentated. The proboscis is 

 short or obsolete, and the moths do not frequent flowers, but 

 may be found resting on tree-trunks by day, or flying rather 

 heavily at dusk near the trees on which their larvae feed. The 

 larvce are rugose, wath a straight horn ; and the anterior 

 segments are not retractile, and do not taper much towards 

 the ralher large head. 



Our three British species of this sub-family are all fairly 

 common and widely distributed throughout Europe and 

 Northern and Western Asia, as well as in the British Islands. 



The Smervitlu'iKC appear to be more variable than the other 

 SpIu'jigidcE. 



GENUS LAOTHOE. 



Laothoe^ pt. Fabricius in Illiger, Mag. Insekt., vi., p. 287 



(1807). 



Smeriiiilius^ group 4, Walker, List Lepid. Ins. Brit. Mus., viii., 

 p. 244 (1856). 



The type of this genus is one of the largest European 

 species of the sub-family, and differs from all the others in the 

 proboscis being obsolete. The costa of the fore-wings is 

 arched towards the extremity, the hind margin is oblique, and 

 considerably dentated on the nervures ; the apex of the wing 

 is very prominent, owing to the deepest concavity being at 

 about one-third of the length of the hind margin. The hinder 

 angle is slightly produced into a rounded lobe, which is 

 preceded towards the extremity of the inner margin by a 



