410 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. XI, 



Subfamily AcHERONTiiNiE. 



This subfamily consists of pupse which have either one or 

 two spiracular furrows on each of the abdominal segments 5-7. 

 This is the only subfamily in which the maxillary loop is found, 

 although all members of the subfamily do not possess it. The 

 length of maxillse varies greatly, being longest in the genus 

 Herse and shortest in Ceratomia. The glazed eye-piece is 

 usually almost hemispherical, bounded along its mesal margin 

 by a smooth impressed line, which usually touches neither the 

 antenna nor the maxilla. The antennae are filiform, of the same 

 width throughout, except at the pointed tip. Rothschild and 

 Jordan have divided this subfamily into two tribes, the first of 

 which, Acherontiicae, has only one American representative, 

 Herse, while all the other genera belong to the Sphingicae. It 

 will be seen from a study of the pupa that Herse differs consid- 

 erably from the other genera. The remaining genera form a 

 remarkably compact group excepting Ceratomia, Daremma, 

 and Lapara, which, however, show very close relationships. 

 They differ principally in the absence of the maxillary loop. 



Genus Herse Oken. 



The species of this genus are characterized by having the 

 maxillary loop doubled back upon itself as shown in Fig. 2. 

 The body is broader at the cephalic end than is customary in 

 this family and the head is bent slightly ventrad, but not so 

 that the labrum is visible. The maxillary loop extends about 

 half way to the distal end of the maxillse. The prothoracic 

 femur has always a considerable portion exposed. There are 

 always two prominent spiracular furrows on the movable 

 abdominal segments, a deep, pocket-like, mesal one and a longer, 

 shallower, lateral one, with a slight ridge and furrow often 

 visible between the two. The first eight abdominal segments 

 are thickly punctate on the cephalic half. The cremaster is 

 triangular, with the length and breadth about equal ; sometimes 

 slightly bifurcate. 



But one species of this genus is found in North America. 

 This is a tropical or subtropical species occurring rarely in the 

 temperate regions along the Atlantic coast. The moths some- 

 times stray as far north as Canada. 



