280 



PSYCHE. 



[December, 1901 



5. A group represented by Euchiemo- 

 nia, Urota, Eudelia; and finally (6) a 

 group containing the following genera, 

 Bunaea, Imbrasia, Gynanisa, Salassa, 

 Nudaurelia, Antherina, Melanocera, and 

 Cinabra, with two undescribed genera, 

 one represented by Bunaea pliaeJusa and 

 another by Nudaurelia belina. 



It will be a matter of interest to con- 

 sider the geographical distribution of 

 this great group, now comprising some 

 thirty-six (probably forty) genera. 



All but two genera (Aglia and Salassa) 

 the former Eurasian, the latter Asiatic, are 

 either Neogaeic (Central and South 

 American) or Ethiopian ( Equatorial and 

 South African). Of these thirty-four 

 (perhaps 36-38) genera, seventeen are 

 African, and about the same number ( 1 5- 

 16, perhaps 18) are South American. 

 This fact in the distribution of the group 

 is of interest in connection with the re- 

 lations between the South American and 

 African flora and fauna, of which so 

 much has recently been written, confirm- 

 ing the view that perhaps at the close 

 of the cretaceous period and through the 

 early tertiary there may have been a land 

 connection between the two continents. 



There are about thirty genera of Sat- 

 urniidae; of these we know the larval 

 forms of seventeen genera. But of the 

 larger group in question we know the 

 larval stages of but thirteen genera and 

 that very imperfectly. Besides the larva 

 of a single species of Nudaurelia, of 

 Gynanisa and of Urota, we know only 

 that of Thyella zatnbesia roughly figured 

 by Maassen and Weymer, of Bunaea al- 



eynoe briefly described by Aurivillius. that 

 of the Eurasian Aglia and the South 

 American forms Cercophana, Rhescyntis, 

 Arsenura, and the Ceratocainpid genera 

 Syssphinx, Sphingicampa, Anisota, Eacles 

 and Citheronia, or thirteen genera. 



In this great family whose larvae are 

 so sphinx-like in general shape, in the 

 form of the anal legs, head, and other 

 features, besides the pupa and subterra- 

 nean habits the name Sphingicampidae 

 may be suggested. The name Cerato- 

 campidae might be used in an extended 

 sense but by the present rules its use is 

 unfortunately forbidden. 



NuDAURELi.'V DiONE (Fabr.) . 



Larva. — Head as in Gynanisa tsis, large, 

 smooth, but dull black, shining but a little, 

 and seen to be finely granulated under a lens, 

 the granulations grouped in lines. Head a 

 little more than one-half as thick as the body, 

 which is cylindrical, not quite so thick as in 

 Gynanisa. The body is uniformly dull yel- 

 yetv black, except the groups of yellow warts. 

 Prothoracic shield black, roughly corrugated 

 transyersely, with no spines, but a simple 

 pale dorsal hair on each side. 



Second thoracic segment with four large 

 chestnut-brown spines, the two middle ones 

 nearly twice as long as the outer ones, and 

 bearing one or two minute short tines or 

 tubercles each of \yhich giyes rise to a white 

 hair. The spines of the 3d thoracic segment 

 are of the same size and reddish testaceous 

 color as those of the abdominal segments ; 

 they are very sharp, strong and constitute 

 a most formidable armature. Those of the 

 infraspiracular row are darker. Each dorsal 

 spine gives rise to from 3 to 5 slender fine 

 pale hairs. The spines are curved backwards, 

 those of the dorsal rows are directed a little 

 inward. 



