LEPID OP TEKA . 355 



above with dark green. When disturbed it assumes the 

 threatening attitude shown in the figure. 



The Tomato-worm, Phlegethontius celeus (Phleg-e-thon'- 

 ti-us ce'le-us). — This larva is the best known of all our 

 Sphinxes, as it ma)- be found feeding on the leaves of 

 tomato, tobacco, or potato wherever these plants are grown 

 in our country. It resembles in its general appearance the 

 larva of Sphinx dicrsis (Fig. 408); but its favorite attitude 

 is with the fore end of the body slightly raised. It is usu- 

 ally green, but individuals are often found that are brown, 

 or even black. There appear at frequent intervals in the 

 newspapers accounts of people being injured by a poison 

 excreted by the caudal horn of this larva ; but there is 

 absolutely no foundation whatever for such stories. The 

 pupa (Fig. 412) is often ploughed up in gardens, and attracts 

 attention on account of 

 its curious tongue-case, 

 which is free, resembling 

 the handle of a pitcher. 

 The moth is a superb 

 creature, expanding four Fig. v ,.-pa 



or five inches. It is of many delicate shades of ash-gray, 

 marked with black or very dark gray ; there are a few short 

 black dashes on the fore part of the thorax, and some irregular 

 black spots edged with white on the posterior part ; the 

 abdomen is gray with a black middle line, and five yellow, 

 almost square spots along each side. Each of these spots is 

 bordered with black, and has a white spot above and be- 

 low, on the edge of the segment. The hind wings are 

 crossed by four blackish lines, of which the two interme- 

 diate are zigzag. 



The Tobacco-worm, Phlegethontius Carolina (Phleg-e-thon'- 

 ti-us car-o-li'na). — This species closely resembles the preced- 

 ing, and the two are often mistaken the one for the other. 

 The larvae have similar habits, feeding on the same plants. 

 But the moths are easily distinguished. This species is brown- 



