February, 1902] 



PSYCHE. 



305 



the name of Protosphingina to the group, 

 for recent prolonged examination of the 

 larval, pupal and adult characters enable 

 me to confirm the idea suggested by sev- 

 eral others besides myself, that the 

 Sphingidae have almost directly de- 

 scended from the Citheroniinae (Cera- 

 tocampidae). The group also appears 

 to have given origin to the Hemileucidae. 



The Sphingicampidae may be thus 

 briefly defined : Body often Sphinx-like ; 

 antennae usually bipectinate, the tip 

 more or less filiform ; maxillae usually 

 present, but small and weak ; in some 

 genera(Anisota, etc.) absent. The wings 

 either small, narrow, Sphinx-like, or 

 broad, large and saturniid in shape. 

 Eleven veins in the fore wings, and in 

 the hind wings eight (nine, invariably, 

 in the Citheroniina;). Discal cell usually 

 small, invariably closed by the discal 

 veins. The last subcostal vein, or vein 

 III.,, often so detached as to form an 

 "independent" vein. 



Larva with stout spines (instead of the 

 soft spiniferous tubercles of Saturniidae) ; 

 larva sometimes smooth-bodied in the 

 last stage, the median spine on 8th ab- 

 dominal segment always double. Anal 

 legs very large ; the typical and ances- 

 tral forms strikingly sphinx-like. Pupa 

 with a large spine-like cremaster ; sub- 

 terranean, or situated under leaves on 

 the surface, a few species spinning a 

 slight thin cocoon, as occurs in some 

 cases in the Sphingidae. 



The group is, in accordance with our 

 present knowledge, divided into six sub- 

 divisions which are either families or 



subfamilies or categories approximately 

 of that rank. We will for the present 

 call them subfamilies. 



These groups of Protosphingina may 

 provisionally be thus defined. 



1. Citheroiiii?iae, with the characters 

 of the group formerly named Cerato- 

 campidae. Fore wings with eleven veins, 

 hind wings with nine veins. The typi- 

 cal larval forms with long large thoracic 

 and abdominal spines and the suranal 

 plate tuberculated. Pupa subterranean, 

 with a large cremaster. Sphingicampa, 

 Syssphinx, Anisota, Eacles, Citheronia. 



2. Agliinae. Head tending to be un- 

 usually narrow between the eyes ; anten- 

 nae bipectinated. Palpi large, 3-jointed ; 

 maxillae unusually well developed (in 

 Aglia absent). Wings moderate, or 

 very large, sometimes tailed. Vein IIL 

 more or less detached and forming an 

 independent vein. Discal cell very small. 

 Larva in its last stage spineless, smooth ; 

 in the early stages with 2-6 thoracic 

 spines, and a median double spine on 

 8th abdominal segment. Pupa like that 

 of Eacles. Arsenura, Rhescyntis, Dys- 

 daemonia, Bathyphlebia, Aglia, Polythy- 

 sana, Cercophana, Eudelia. 



3. Urofinae. Antennae of $ with but 

 a single pair of pectinations to a joint; 

 vein IIL independent ; hind wings tailed. 

 Larva in the last stage smooth, without 

 spines. Urota. 



This is a provisional group. Eudelia 

 closely approaches Cercophana and the 

 two approach Aglia on the one hand and 

 Urota on the other. The venation of 

 the fore wings is much as in Aglia, and 



