170 



NARROW-BORDERED BEE HAWK-MOTH. 



Sesia Bombyliformis. 

 PLATE XII. Fig. 4. 



Sesia Bombyliformis, Fabr. ; Haworth's Lep. Brit. p. 68., 



Curtis' B. E. i. 40 Sesia Fuciformis, Stephens' Illus 



Sphinx Fuciformis, Ochsen. 



IN this species, which is about the same size as 

 the foregoing, the body is tawny-olive inclining to 

 green, the second and third segments of the abdo- 

 men nearly black, and the two following bright 

 orange, the anal tuft black at the sides and orange 

 in the middle. The wings are narrowly edged with 

 dark-brown, the rest of the surface vitreous and 

 transparent, the anterior pair without any discoi- 

 dal streak. The antennas are glossed with blue. 



When young, the caterpillars have a few branched 

 spines on each segment, but as they increase in 

 size these disappear. The colour varies much, but 

 is most commonly green, with a pale line on each 

 side surmounted by a purple one ; and most of the 

 segments have an oblique purple stripe over the 

 stigmata. It feeds on the devil's-bit scabious (Sca- 

 biosa succisa) and some other plants. It is a rare 



