( 434 ) 

 370. Sesia blaini. 



*Aflloji>is llaini Ken-kh-Sch.. Ausm: Schm. ii. f. 663 (ISli'J) (Cuba ;— coll. Staudinger) ; Grote, 

 7Vnn.s. Amer. Enl. So,: iii. p. 184 (1871) (Cuba) ; Butl., Trans. Zool. Soc. Land. ix. p. SBO. 

 u. -2 (1877) (partim) : Kirby, Cat. Lep. llet. i. p. (536. n. 3 (18;i2) (Cuba). 



*Matni(iloKsa aeilnii Boisduval, Spec. Oe)i. Lep. Bel. i. p. 357. D. 40. t. 11. f. 1 (1875) (Cuba ;— coll. 

 Charles Obertbtir) ; Gundl., Contr. Enl. Cubaiia p. 17(3 (1881). 



Aelldjnix aediiii, Butler, Trnim. Zoul. Soc. Lniiil. ix. p. G34 (1877). 



Macroglnssa hhiini, Dewitz, Millh. Miinch. Eiit. Ver. i. p. 91 (1877) (Porto Rico). 



c? ? . This species combines characters of the pattern of Eupi/n-liogloxsiim saqra 

 and Sf.wi tantalus. The mesothorax has long narrow scales, and is marked with a 

 jiale vitta near ni)])er margin of tegnla. S(!* and SC" of forewing are fused at end. 



Ildli. West Indies : Cuba ; Jamaica ; Porto Rico. 



In the British Museum a ¥ from Jamaica. A pair from Cuba in the collection 

 of Charles Oberthiir. A ? in the Berlin Museum also from Cuba. Ti/pe ( ? ) of 

 blaini in coll. Staudinger ex coll. Herrich-Schaffer. 



371. Sesia tantalus. 



Sjiliin.r liiiilahis Linn^, Syst. Nal. ed. .x. p. 493. n. 23 (17.58) (in calidis regionibus !) ; id., J/«s. Liicl. 



rir. p. 361 (1764) (Ind. or. ! !) ; Houtt., Nulurl. Hhl. i. 11. p. 456. u. 23 (1767) ; Liane, Syst. 



Nat. ed. xii. p. 803. n. 25 (1767); Miill., Natnrs. t. 1. p. 643. n. 26 (1774); Cram., Pap. 



Ex. i. p. 107. t. 68. f. F (1775) ; Goeze, Ent. Beytr. iii. 2. p. 177. n. 26 (1780) ; Gmel., Si/sl. 



Nat. i. 5. p. 2186. n. 25 (1700). 

 (?) Sj)hin.r ixiim Linn(^, Sy.'il. Nat. ed. x. p. 4;)3. n. 24 (1758) (in calidis region. I) ; Houtt., Natnrl. 



Ilisl. i. 11. p. 456. n. 24 (1767) ; Linue, Syst. Nat. ed. xii. p. 808 n. 26 (1767) ; Miill., Naturs. 



V. 1. p. 643. n. 26 (1774) ; Goeze, Enl. Brytr. iii. 2. p. 177. n. 25 (1780) ; Auriv., Kmi<jl. Sr. 



Vet. Ak. Haiidl. xix. 5. p. 170. n. 5 (1882). 

 Sesia tniilaliis, Fabricius, Syst. FjhI. p. 547. n. 1 (1775) (" hab." erroneous) ; id., Sjwc. Ins. ii. p. 1.53. 



n. 1 (1781) ; id.. Maul. Ins. ii. p. 98. n. 1 (1781) ; id., Ent. Syst. iii. 1. p. 379. n. 1 (1793) ; 



Tnrt., S,/sl. Nat. iii. 2. p. 178 (1806). 

 Sesia UifiH, Faliricius, Spec. Ins. ii. p. 154. n. 2 (1781) ; id., Mant. Ins. ii. p. 9H. n. 2 (1787). 

 SphiiM ixim, Gmelin, %s^ Nat. i. 5. p. 2386. n. 26 (1790). 

 Aellttpus tantalus. Aurivillius, K<ingl. Sv. Vet. Ale. Handl. xix. 5. p. 141. n. 179 (1882). 



The description in a manuscript of Linn^ referred to by Aurivillius, I.e. p. 141 , 

 shows that tantalus is really the species figured as such by Cramer. But, as uo 

 locality is given, it is impossible to say which of the three geographical races, 

 whether one of the Continental ones or that occurring on the West Indian Islands, 

 Liuni^ had before him. The type is not preserved. 



The few words by which Liund attempted to characterise ixion are quite 

 insufficient to recognise the insect by. This ixion may have been a true 

 Macroglossum, or a Sesia, or something else : Fabricius was perhaps right in 

 referring it to tantalus. 



The true si)ecific characters of tantalus and its near allies have not been 

 recognised, and most authors have considered the insects only doubtfully distinct, 

 or not distinct at all. However, a closer research showed us not only that the 

 three insects figured by Cramer as tantalus, fadus, and titan are distinct from one 

 another, but that tantalus consists of three different subspecies. 



c? ? . Smaller than fadus and titan. Median band of forewing above vestigial, 

 without distinct white spots, or with only one minnte spot M' — M^ ; discal band 

 consisting of three spots R'— M', the uppermost generally distinctly divided in cJ, 

 the second occasionally absent or vestigial ; underside of forewing without a median 

 spot, or spot M'— M^ present, but minute. No white patch at anal angle of hiud- 

 wing above. Foretarsus normal, first segment as long as 2 to .5 together, or a 



