SPHINGID^E. 65 



ochreous. Pore wing grey, with a few dark hairs ; subbasal, medial, 

 and postmedial slightly irregular black lines edged with orange, 



Fig. 38. Cnethocampa cheela, $. \. 



the medial line externally, the other two internally. Hind wing 

 pale grey. 



. Abdomen red-brown, the anal tuft dark brown. 



Hob. Simla. Exp., rf 34, $ 38 millim. 



The following species formerly recorded as Indian are omitted. 



Apha lanuginosa, Wlk., C. & S. no. 1343. Type lost, descrip- 

 tion unrecognizable. 

 Messata tristis, Feld., C. & S. no. 1435, is from S. Africa. 



Family SPHINGID^l. 



Diurnal or crepuscular Lepidoptera with powerful flight, which 

 feed on the wing ; characterized by the antennae being gradually 

 thickened into a club, which is pointed at the tip, and nearly 

 always hooked, with a small tuft of hair at the extremity : in the 

 males of nearly all the genera there are bands of cilia on the under 

 surface. Palpi very thickly scaled, the third joint minute and 

 buried in the scales. Legs strong, with well-developed spurs and 

 spined tarsi. Pore wing elongated and narrow; the subcostals 

 very close to the costa ; vein 1 forked at base. Hind wing small ; 

 costal nervure arising free, with a bar between it and subcostals ; 

 two internal veins. The subfamilies and genera are very closely 

 allied and difficult to define ; the shape and coloration are emi- 

 nently variable. 



Larva smooth, nearly always with a horn on llth somite. 



Pupa free in the earth. 



Key to the Subfamilies. 



a. Larvai tapering to head, the thoracic 

 somites retractile ; horn long, curved and 

 tuberculate. 



Imago : the proboscis very short and thick. 1. Acherontiina. 

 YOL. i. F 



