THE SILVER-STRIPED VINE MOTH. 109 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



THE SILVER-STRIPED VINE MOTH. 



(Chcerocampa celerio. Linn.} 



Order : Lepidoptera. Section : Heterocera. Family : Sphingidce. 



Very beautiful night-flying moths, the larvae of which do 

 great damage to vines by stripping them of their leaves. 



This pest is probably an introduction from Europe, or 

 it may be also indigenous. Be this as it may, this species 

 is no doubt identical with the well-known " Celery Hawk 

 Moth," of Europe, a species largely distributed through- 

 out the world. 



As will be seen from our plate, the moth is about 3 or 

 4 inches across the wings when expanded. The larva, or 

 caterpillar, is a very formidable-looking creature, some- 

 times greenish and often brown in colour; the eleventh 

 segment of the body has a sort of horn-shaped projection, 

 as shown at Fig. 1, and which many people imagine to be 

 placed near the head of the caterpillar instead of near the 

 "tail;" and this description I have many times received 

 from growers when sending specimens for identification. 



The pupa is brownish in colour, and may be found on 

 or amongst leaves below the vine, and in some cases just 

 below the surface of any loose soil. The natural size is 

 given at Fig. 4. I have not seen the eggs of this moth, 

 but strongly suspect them to be deposited on the vines 

 themselves. 



Some years ago there appeared to be quite a conster- 

 nation concerning some wonderfully-formed caterpillar 

 attacking vines. This caterpillar was stated by some to 

 have a huge horn above its head, two large eyes on its 

 back, and when touched would "spring" at the intruder. 

 On interviewing this "monster" among pests, however, 

 I found it to be nothing more nor less than the larva of 



