SPHINX Labrusca?, 

 Wild Vine Hawk-moth. 



Generic Character. — See PI. 81. 



Specific Character. 

 S. alis integris ; anficis virescentibus, Jascid triangulari cetitrali macu- 

 loquefusco ornatis ; posticis medio cceruleo-nigris, 7nargme fulvo; 

 abdominis lateribus punctis quinque ?iiveis. 



S. Wings entire ; anterior greenish, with a central triangular band 

 and black spot; posterior bluish black in the middle, the mar- 

 gin fulvous ; sides of the body with five snowy spots, 



S. Labruscae. Gmelin, p. 2380. 14. Fab. Ent. Sys. 3. p. 377. Cra- 

 mer, pi. 184. a. 



LiNN^us has well observed, that the great distinctions of 

 his three genera of Lepidoptera, were, that Butterflies are 

 seen on the wing only during the day ; Hawk-moths, or 

 Sphinxes, at the rising and setting of the sun ; and Moths 

 during the night. The insects of Europe, indeed, offer but 

 few exceptions to these characters ; but the habits of certain 

 exotic tribes, in each of these families, partake both of one 

 and the other in a remarkable manner. Thus, among the but- 

 terflies, there is a genus in South America (hitherto unno- 

 ticed), which fly only during the dusk of evening : a number 

 of the Linnsean Hawk-moths prefer the meridian heat of the 

 sun ; and there are not wanting several moths which are only 

 seen during the same period of the day. 



The insect, however, before us, is of that tribe to which the 

 remark of Linnaeus is strictly applicable ; and, although in- 

 cluded in the Systema Natura, has remained without any 

 correct representation, for it would be difficult to delineate a 

 worse figure of it than that given by Cramer. Besides the 

 row of five snowy white spots on each side of the body, there 

 are four pair of others, more dusky, down the middle, and five 

 small black dots near the outer margin of the fore wings ; 

 the colour of all beneath is a buff yellow, with tvvo faint dusky 

 oblique bars, and the middle of the fore wings sea green. 



I have received this species from Jamaica; in itslar'va state 

 it appears to feed on the wild vine. 



PI. 87. 



