4 HAWK-MOTHS OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK CITY 



caterpillar hatches in from five to seven days after the eggs have 

 been deposited. The caterpillars as a rule shed their skins or 

 moult five times before reaching maturity. The mature cater- 

 pillars are smooth, or sometimes more or less granulated over the 

 surface. The last segment is provided with a horn, or marked 

 with a tubercle or polished eye-like spot instead. ]\Iost of the 

 Hawk-Moth caterpillars are marked with seven lateral, oblique 

 stripes. After reaching maturity, and when ready to transform, 

 they descend from their food-plants to the ground. Most forms 

 burrow into the soil, where they construct cells, in which they 

 change to pupa;, but some species form their pupa; on the surface 

 of the ground, in a loose, web-like cocoon between leaves. The 

 pupae are almost always chestnut brown, elongate, with the 

 tongue-case either buried or detached and resembling the handle 

 of a pitcher. 



KEY TO THE HAWK-MOTHS. 



Wings partly transparent Group A. 



Wings wholly opaque " B. 



With yellow markings on body Section i. 



With yellow markings on hind wings " 2. 



With green and pink markings on wings " 3. 



With green markings on wings, without pink ... ' 4. 



With pink markings on wings, without green ... " 5. 



With brown markings, without pink, green or 



yellow " 6. 



With gray or blackish brown markings, without 



pink, yellow or green " 7. 



Group A.— WINGS PARTLY TRANSPARENT. 



Underside of thorax pale yellow without a line on eacli side. 



Outer border of fore wings toothed within. . . .Hemaris thysbe. 



Like thysbe, but larger var. florideusis. 



Outer border of fore wings not toothed within . . .var. ruficaudis. 

 Underside of thorax pale yellow witli a red-brown line on each side. 



Outer border of fore wings even within Hemaris (^^racilis. 



