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MOTHS OF MESOPOTAMIA AND N. W. PERSIA. 
Part II. 
SPHINGES & BOMBYCES. 
BY 
H. T. G. WatxKrns 
AND 
P. A. Buxton, M.A., F.E.S., Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. 
General remarks on the affinities of the Mesopotamian fauna would be out of 
place in a short paper devoted to systematics. One new species and one new 
sub-species are described below : 
Sphingide. 
1. Acherontia styx, Westw. 
One, July, one. August 1916, Amara, B.-T.; one, Baghdad, 10th October 1917. 
Pp. A. B.; one, 30th May 1917, Amara, B. N. H.S. Closely allied to A. atropos, 
of Europe. 
2. Herse convolvuli, L. 
One 15th May 1918, Baghdad—* 11-30 p.m. at light. Insect settled on 
plaster wall Large wall lizard advanced towards it from in front, halting about 
8 inches away. Lizard attacked, biting insect on left fore wing, costa near 
thorax, injuring this regien. Insect escaped after struggle, fell to ground and 
was secured. 
N.B.—Sphingid moths seem very liable to attack by wall lizards, as 
I have witnessed this also in C. lineata and T. alecto. Owing to their size 
they also made their escape in the encounters mentioned,’ W. E. Waller. 
3. Deilephila nerii, L. 
One, Amara, 20th November 1916, C; one, 16th November 1918, Basra, C. ; 
one, 30th April 1919, bred from Basra larva, B. N. H.S.; one, 30th March 
1919, Beit Na’ama, “‘ one caught, several seen,” W. E. E. 
4. Celerio lineata, Fab., subsp. livornica, Esp. 
One, Amara, 7th May 1918, P. A. B.; one, May 1918, Kut; Qizil Robat, 
14th March to 10th April 1919, ‘the moth fairly common by day at a white- 
flowered scabious ; larva found on small plantain, pupated April 21st, emerged 
llth May”; moth at light 15th May, H. D. P. 
5. Celerio nicwa, de Prunner. 
One, Kermanshah, 1918, Br. This specimen is of the typical European race 
and not of the subspecies lathyrus, Wlk., of which the type from N. India is 
in the British Museum. A coloured sketch of the showy larva, and a full 
description of it was sent home by Col. Peile. This larva was found on a rock 
high up at Harir, N. W. Persia, 12th September 1918 ; the food-plant is spurge 
(Euphorbia). ; 
6. Aippotion celerio, L. 
Two, Beit Na’ama, Basra, 26th March and Ist April 1919, at light, W. E. E. 
7. Theretra alecto subsp. cretica, Boisd. 
We have seen specimens collected in every month from March to September, 
at Basra, Amara and Baghdad. Buxton found pupz at Amara, one on the 
ground under a log, and another under the bark of a Zizyphus tree four feet 
from the ground ; both were completely without any cocoon or earthen cell. 
8. Pergesa elpenor, L. 
One 27th June 1919, Enzeli, Caspian Sea, P. A. B. This specimen is of the 
typical European form. 
