II. THE NOTODONTINA. 99 



dark grey strigulae before termen. Hind-wings moderate, termen crenate, angularly projecting in 

 middle ; wholly white. 



" I took one fine specimen at rest on a tree-trunk near Dunedin, in February." 

 (Meyrick.) 



Family 6. SPHINGIDJE. 



" Head with dense appressed hairs. Ocelli absent. Eyes glabrous. Antennae thickened towards 

 middle or posteriorly, in male ciliated with partial whorls. Labial palpi moderate, ascending, with dense 

 projecting scales. Thorax densely hairy beneath. Femora densely hairy. Fore-wings with vein lb 

 furcate, 6 out of 8, 9 absent (rarely present in exceptional individuals). Hind-wings with veins 3 and 

 4 approximated at base, 5 from middle of transverse vein, parallel to 4, 6 and 7 connate or stalked, 

 8 connected by oblique bar with margin of cell before middle, more or less approximated to 7 near 

 beyond cell." (Plate I., figs. 12 and 13, neuration of Deilephila [after Meyrick] .) 



" This family is generally distributed, but is most plentiful in the tropics. The 

 images are usually large insects, with stout, heavy bodies, elongate-triangular fore-wings 

 with very oblique termen, and relatively small hind-wings ; the wing muscles are very 

 strong, and the flight exceptionally powerful. Ovum spheroidal, smooth. Larva stout, 

 usually with an oblique, projecting anal horn, anterior segments sometimes retractile 

 or raised in repose. Pupa subterranean." (Meyrick.) 



Only one genus is represented in New Zealand, viz., Sphinx. 



Genus 1. SPHINX. 



" Tongue strongly developed. Antennas less than one-half, gradually thickened to apex, then 

 pointed, apex slender, hooked. Thorax with low double posterior tuft. Abdomen smooth, broad, 

 conical, pointed. Tibiae with appressed scales. 



" A moderately large genus, ranging over the whole world, but principally cha- 

 racteristic of America. Imago flying at dusk, feeding on the wing." (Meyrick.) 



This genus is represented in New Zealand by one almost cosmopolitan species. 



SPHINX CONVOLVULI, L. 



(Protoparce distans, But!. Sphinx convolvuli, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxii. 213.) 

 (Plate XIII., fig. 1. ; Plate III., figs. 13 and 14 varieties of larvae.) 



This handsome insect often occurs in the northern portions of the North Island, 

 but becomes very rare southward of Napier and New Plymouth. In the South Island 

 it has been taken at Nelson, and recently a very mutilated specimen of what appears 

 to be this species has been found by Mr. Philpott, near West Plains, Invercargill. With 

 these exceptions I have not heard of its appearance in any other localities in the South 

 Island. 



The expansion of the wings is about 3J inches. The fore-wings are greyish-brown with several 

 irregular, darker markings near the base ; and a broad, dark, central band ; beyond the central band 

 there is a very irregular, pale grey, toothed line. The hind-wings are yellowish-grey, with four trans- 

 verse, darker stripes, the outermost one strongly toothed. The head and thorax are dark grey, paler 

 on the back, with two conspicuous tufts of pale grey hair on the shoulders. The abdomen is grey, 

 striped on the sides with rose-colour and black. 



The larva feeds on Convolvuhts. Like many of the caterpillars of the Spkingidte, 

 there are two very distinct varieties : one is bright green, with white spiracles, and 

 a series of diagonal yellow lines above them ; the other is dull yellowish-brown, 

 with broad blackish-brown dorsal and ventral lines, and a series of triangular blackish 

 spots above the spiracles, which in this variety are jet-black. In both these forms of 



