( -J ) 



J,iirv;u' i-vliiKlriciil, oi' ^lijjlitly tiii»'riiij;- in iVoiit, Imt tlii-u grannlose ; bead 

 liirge ami roumU'd, or triaiiguliir, always nmndcd in (irst stage. — Cosm<)i>olitaii. 

 Here beloiiL' the siiblaiuilics Aciierum'iinae and Ajibulicinae. 



Subfamily Acherontiinae.— Typus : Arkcrontin atropos. 



Manducae. Hiibncr, Vcrz. b,k. Srhm. p. 138 (1822) (paHim). 



Spliiiiijiiii Orote i*i Robiiisou, /'/vie. Eid. Sue. I'hiltid. v. p. 161 (IRG'i) (partim ; iioni. imd.). 



" AcberoiitUies " Hoisduval, Spec. Ghi. Li'p. IIU. i. p. 4 (187&). 



•' Euryglottidcs " id., I.e. p. 58 (1875) (partim). 



Arhrrniiliiiiue liiitlcr, TmtK. Znnl. Svc. Loud. ix. p. 517 (1877). 



Sjiliiuyiimc id., I.e. (1877) (partim). 



Owing to tbe frequent reduction or obliteration of a luiiuber of organs in tbis 

 subfamily and tbe Amhidichiac, tbere is no single distiuguisbing cbaracter apidying 

 to all species. Tbe two subfamilies can, bowever, be separated by taking several 

 cbaracters togctber, as explained under AmbuUcinue (see tbis subfamily). 



Tbe subfamily is divided into tbree tribes, of wbich the tbird comes very near 

 tbe Ambiilicinac in several respects : Acherontiicac, Sphingicae, Sphivgnlicat'. 



Tribe Acherontiicae. — Typus : Acheroiitia atropos. 



ilaiithifiie Hiibner, I.e. (18^2) (p.irtim). 

 " Achi'rontides " Boisduval. I.e. 

 Aclieruntiiiiae Butler, I.e. 



(J?. Palpus on tbe innerside witbout basal patch of short sensory hairs; 

 second segment impressed, this cavity covered by a roof of long scales (PI. LX. f. 1). 

 Labrum raised to form a rounded carina, whicli is highest mesially. Tongue 

 strong, either longer than the body or shorter than the thorax — in the latter case 

 {Aclicrontia) very stout. Geual process very small. Second segment of jmlpus 

 considerably shorter than the first, tbird small ; first e.\terually with deej) apical 

 cavity in scaling in Megacorma. Aiitennal segments impressed laterally in S ; 

 su!)prismatie, with tbe sides rather rounded in ?, distal segments compressed, in 

 transsection elongate-elliptic, in side-view subserrate dorsally as well as ventrally ; 

 end-segment long and thin, with long scales and bristles. Abdominal tergites and 

 steriiites with several irregular rows of s]>ines at the apical margins. Spurs of 

 tibiae unequal, bindtibla with two pairs ; pulvillus present or absent ; paronychium 

 with two lobes or one on each side. 



S. Scent-organ of anterior coxa jiresent, but not always conspicuous. Tenth 

 abdominal tergite long, more or less pointed. Clasper rough with short spiuiform 

 setae near the apex of the barjie ; tbe patch of friction-scales on the outer side, 

 if present, birgc, consisting of multidentate scales ; apical edge of clasper with 

 bristles, wliich are sometimes {Coelonia) short and stout, spiuiform. liarpe short, 

 <livided into two or tbree processes, the upj>er jjrocess armed at the edge with long 

 teeth in Megacorma. 



?. In front of the vaginal orifice there is a flap, rounded, truncate, or divided. 



Larva cylindrical, head and first segments smaller ; a green and a black form 

 with intergradations ; thorax sometimes {Coelonia) with humps. Larva of Mega- 

 corma not known. — Food : Solanaceae, Conwhulaccac, seldom Etipliorbiaceae. 



