AOHEKONTIA. By Dr. K. Jordan. 231 



Eastern and Western Hemispheres liave several genera in common, two being cosmopolitan (CeJerio and Herse) 

 and five Palearctic-Xearctic (Ha^morrhagia, Sphinx, Smermlhus, Sphecodina, Proserpinu^); among the latter 

 Sphinx goes as far as the South of the Neotropical Region. Of the Old World Sphingids the highly specialised genera 

 Haemorrhagia, Cephonodes and Sataspes certainly belong to an American branch which in Central and South 

 America contains a large number of more generalised forms, with which those three single Old World genera 

 of this branch are connected by transitional forms. The genus Macroglo-ssiitn. however, similar in many 

 respects, is a specialised branch of an Old-World stock confined to the Ea.stem Hemisphere, near the base of 

 which stand Nephele and Acosmeryx. On the other hand, Smerinthti-s, Amorpha and allied genera of the Pa- 

 iearctic aiid Xearctic Regions are specialised forms of tropical Asiatic origin, and there are no Sphingids in 

 Tropical America with wliich these genera have a closer connection. The comparatively large number of Sphin- 

 gidae in the temperate zone in the Pacific area of the Palearctic Region is explained by the absence of a barrier 

 between tropical Indo-China and our Region, in consequence of which many really tropical species are distri- 

 buted far northward, and also by the large extent of the Eastern Palearctic district. 



As the eggs are usually deposited singly or only in pairs on the same plant, one does not generally 

 meet with large companies of larvae. But in particularly favourable years pinnstri and ocellata may be so 

 abundant that they become noxious. Among the tropical forms it is particularly Pseudosphinx fetrio and 

 Erinnyis ello which often occur in such masses as to defoliate the tree completely. 



The 103 species occurring on Palearctic territory, or met with as occasional visitors, are distributed among 

 43 genera, which altogether contain 370 species. 



We divide the Sphingidae into two groups: 



I. Sphingidae asemanophorae: Fir.st segnient of paljii on the inner side \vithout liasal spot of small modified hair.-;. 

 — - Altliough the palpi are often very large in this group, the basal spot is alsways absent, while in the second grouj) it is always 

 present even on reduced palpi. The subfamilies Jc7iero«<i)H«c and J (/i?*H/icinae Vjelonging here are very closely allied instructure. 



II. Sphingidae semanophorae: First segment of palpi on the inner side with basal spot of small modified hairs. — The 

 subfamilies belonging here are Se»iinae, Philampelinae and Chaerocanipinae. 



A. Subfamily: Acherontiinae *). 



This and the following subfamily (A)nbidicinae) are not separated by any one single character occurring in every one of 

 the numerous species. In both subfamiUes there are many forms so strongly reduced as to lose the structures peculiar to the 

 Acherontiinae or Ambrdicinae. But the connection of such species with the less specialised genera of this or that particular sub- 

 family is so ob^^ous that in scarcely any species is there any doubt as to. whether it should be placed into the one or the other 

 subfamily. 



The end-segment of the antennae is long and slender in the Acheronliinae, except in the peculiar small tribe Sphin- 

 yidicae and the reduced South African Oligoijrapha. The apex of tlie forewing is always pointed, but never produced in sickle- 

 shape, also never truncate or sinuate: the outer margin Ls at most slightly wax-y, never dentate, lobate or angulate. The fienulum 

 is always present. Hind tibia always with two pairs of spurs \vith the exception of the genus Thamnoecha, which only contains 

 one reduced species. Forewing neither above nor below with bright red or yellow ground-colour. 



a) Tribe: Acherontiicae. 



Second i)alpal segment concave on the inner side, and this cavity covered with a roof of scales. — Only a few 

 genera belong here. 



1. Genus: Acheroiitia O. 



A genus highly specialised in many respects, containing three Old-World species. They all bear a death- 

 head mark on the upper side of the thorax, which mark is not so well developed in any other Hawkmoth, but 

 is indicated in many species of Acherontiinae, e. g. in the African Coelonia fvlvinotata and Xanthopan 

 morgani, and the American Protoparce rustica. 



The tongue is shorter than the thorax, stout and hairy; a similar tongue is not found anpvhere else 

 among the Sphingidae. and this peculiarity of development leads to the supposition that it has to fulfil a par- 

 ticular function. Probably this consists of the ability of the moth to pierce the lid of the honey cells of wild 

 and domesticated bees, on account in the strength of its tongue. The palpi do not touch each other and the 

 base of the tongue is therefore visible between them; this also occurs in other Sphingids (e. g. the genus Ce- 

 chenena, which belongs to a different subfamily). The antemiae are stout, and considerably shorter than 

 the forewing is broad; in the ^ only slightly slenderer towards the base. Body stout, with woolly scaling. Hind 

 tibia with two pairs of spurs; middle and hind tarsi strongly compressed, without ventral brush of long brist- 



*) As regards the nomenclature it Ls necessary to state that for the subfamilies, genera, etc.. only such names are re- 

 garded as coniing under the law of priority wliich were accompanied by a description, and that for the subfamily and tribe 

 the first name conforming to this rule was retained even when the generic name has become a synonym. Hereby on the one 

 hand the frequent change of the names of the fanuUes and subfamilies Ls avoided, and on the other hand the groundless 

 erection of new famiUes and genera prevented. 



