Catalogue of North American Sphinges. 285 



larly, and turned back to back when at rest. Only one pair of spurs to the hind- 

 legs in the greater number. Thorax moderate ; abdomen rather slender. Flight 

 diurnal. Larvae with sixteen feet ; transformation in the open air. Pupae angu- 

 lated, and fastened by silken threads , or ovoid, and enclosed in an imperfect co- 

 coon. 



Section II. — Sphinges. 



Antennae thickened in or just beyond the middle, tapering at each end, and 

 most often hooked at the tip ; more rarely slender and nearly setaceous, with a 

 double row of slender teeth or hairs on the under side in the males. Wings con- 

 fined by a bristle or bunch of stiff hairs on the front edge near the shoulder of each 

 hind-wing, which is retained by a hook on the under side of each fore-wing ; when 

 at rest horizontal, or inclined on the sides of the body, the fore-wings covering and 

 concealing the hind pair. Two pairs of spurs to the hind-legs. Thorax thick and 

 robust; abdomen mostly conical. Flight of some in the morning and evening 

 twilight, of a few nocturnal, and of others during the day. Larvae with sixteen 

 legs ; transformation in or upon the ground, or in a silken cocoon. Pupae elonga- 

 ted ovoid. 



Section III. — Phalsenae. 



Antennae (never knobbed at the end or thickened in the middle) slender and ta- 

 pering to a point, in some pectinated or feathered, in others simple or bristle-formed. 

 Wings confined together by bristles and hooks, the first pair covering the hind- 

 wings and horizontal or sloping when at rest. Two pairs of spurs to the hind-legs. 

 Flight for the most part nocturnal. Larvae with from ten to sixteen legs, transfor- 

 ming in a silken cocoon or in the ground. Pupae ovoid. 



The Sphinges may be divided into two tribes. 



Tribe I. — Sphinges legitimae. 



Larvae colored, naked, for the most part horned on the tail, and feeding on the 

 leaves of plants ; or whitish, slightly hairy, not horned, and living on woody mat- 

 ter within the stems of plants. Antennae of the winged insects tipped with a mi- 

 nute bristly tuft.* Palpi (except in the ^geriadae) with the third joint minute 

 and indistinct. 



Tribe II. — Sphinges adscitas. 



Larvae always colored, more or less hairy, never horned, feeding on leaves, and 

 transforming in a silken cocoon, which is fastened to the plants on which they live. 

 Antennee of the winged insects not tufted at the end. Palpi distinctly three-jointed. 



The first tribe, or Sphinges legitimae, may be divided into three families. 



Family I. — Sphingiadse. 



Antennae fusiform and prismatic ; ending in a hook, and, in the males, trans- 

 versely biciliated beneath ; or, more rarely, curved, and, in the males, bipectina- 



* This little luft is obsolete or wanting in the Smerinthi. 



