174 LIEUT.-COL. J. M. EAWCETT ON" THE 



Pupa. Red-brown, formed in a cocoon spun with the hairs of the larva. 



I reared the specimen figured from the larva during January, February, and March 

 in Maritzburg. It differs from the allied species P. patens (Boisd.) in the larval stage 

 in (1) the tubercles bearing the fulvous hairs being greyish white, (2) the hairs being 

 not so long as in that species, (3) the legs and claspers being pinkish reel. In the 

 perfect state (1) the ground-colour of the wings is much paler ; (2) the tibise and tarsi 

 of the legs are banded with black. 



Family SPHINGID^E. 



Subfamily Ambulicin*. 



Ambulyx postica (Walker). (Plate VII. figs. 1, larva; la, front view of head 

 of larva.) 

 Basiana postica Walker, Cat. Het. B.M. viii. p. 237 (1856). 



Larva. Head pale blue and conical (fig. 1 a), bearing two frontal white lines from 

 the cone at its apex to the mandibles ; body pale bluish green, each somite from 4th 

 to 11th bearing a white diagonal streak defined by a dark green streak above it, the 

 last streak ending at the base of the horn ; the lateral area below these streaks is pale 

 blue ; the 3rd somite has no streak, but the 1st and 2nd somites have a subdorsal white 

 streak ; the whole body is irrorated with ' minute white spots, which become more 

 numerous towards the dorsal area, giving it a whitish appearance ; horn pale blue ; 

 legs and spiracles reddish ; abdominal claspers blue-green. 



Feeds on Chcetaehme aristata (Planch.), Natural Order Urticaceae. 



This larva is much infested by ichneumons, and it is easy to discover on an 

 individual the places where its epidermis has been pierced by the fly. The figure 

 shows the favourite position assumed by the larva when in repose. 



The transformation is effected underground. 



The moth does not seem to be very common in Durban, and I have not seen it 

 elsewhere. 



Subfamily S M e s, i jst t h i n m. 



Polyptychus GKAYi (Walker). (Plate VII. figs. 2, imago; 3, larva, early stage; 

 4, larva, full-fed ; 5, pupa.) 

 Smerinthus grayii Walker, Cat. Het. B.M. viii. p. 249 (1856). 



Larva {early stage). Head pale green, bearing superiorly a green serrated straight 

 horn and thickly irrorated with minute white atoms ; body grass-green, paling into 



