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THE ABBOT SPHINX. 



Thyreus ahbotii ( Swains . ) . 



The Abbot Sphinx is given a place in this bulletin, not because it 

 is particularly destructive, but because it is frequently received at the 

 Station with letters of inquiry about it. The principal food-plants 

 of the * arvae are grape and woodbine, and as these are often 

 grown about buildings, the insect is easily detected. Its peculiar 

 appearance excites curiosity and therefore it is frequently sent to us. 





Fig. 4.— Thyreus abbotii, larva and imago. 



This insect is distributed over the northern and eastern parts of 

 the United States and is also found in Canada. It passes the winter 

 as a pupa, at or near the surface of the ground. From these pupae 

 the moths emerge during the month of May, in this State. One of 

 these moths is represented in the lower part of Fig. 4. 



They have an expanse of wings of about two and one-half inches. 

 The head and thorax are dull chocolate-brown in color, the latter 

 having two transverse blackish lines. The abdomen is dark chocolate- 

 brown, lighter at the middle, with prominent tufts of hair at the end. 

 The fore wings and the outer part of the hind wings are dull 

 chocolate-brown, the base of the hind wings being yellow. The 

 under side of the insect is much lighter in color. 



The female moth lays her eggs during May and the larvae hatching 

 from them, feed upon the leaves of the food plants, molting or casting 

 their skins from time to time as they grow largei-. They reach full 



