

DESCRIPTIVE NOTICES OF CONSPICUOUS SPECIES 139 



The perfect insect appears in June and July, and may 

 be noticed on old apple-trees (especially espalier apples), 

 sitting* on the leaves ; occasionally on flowers in the 

 vicinity of apple trees. 



FAMILY IV. ^EGERIID^E. 



TROCHILIUM CULICIFORME. THE LAEGE 

 KED-BELTED CLEARWING. 



This species is probably widely distributed, though 

 the localities hitherto assigned for it are not numerous ; 

 in the perfect state it is more frequently seen than 

 caught ; it frequents woods in which there are birch- 

 trees, and is most likely to occur where birches have 

 been felled, and the growing stumps left in the ground. 

 I believe it occurs in most woods round London. 



The expansion of the wings is about 1 inch. The 

 fore- wings are transparent, with the costa, hind-margin, 

 and transverse central spot bine-black ; the inner margin 

 towards the base is of a dull reddish (a character by 

 which this species may be distinguished from both our 

 other Red-belted Clear wing Sphinges) ; the hind-wings 

 are transparent, with the fringes blackish ; the head and 

 thorax are blue-black ; the abdomen is blue-black, with 

 a broad red belt ; anal tuft blue-black. 



The larva is whitish-yellow, with the second segment 

 darker, the head is brown ; it feeds in the winter and 

 spring in the trunks and branches of birch, more rarely 

 it occurs in alder. 



The perfect insect appears at the end of May and 

 beginning of June, and may be sometimes seen in the 

 hottest sunshine, buzzing over birch stumps, and dart- 



