AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. 35 



the other species liv the following characters. The general colour of the body is brownisli-black ; the head and 

 palpi arc orange-coloured. The thorax has a largo orange patch on each side in front, and two dnller ochre 

 patches on the disc behind. The abdomen has the first and second joints black, except the base of the second, 

 which is orange ; the third segment orange, with the hind margin black ; the fourth entirely dark-brown ; the 

 fifth and sixth orange also, with the hind margin brown, the remainder orange. The margins of the wing are 

 broader than in the next species, and ochre-brown. The antennse are dark above, but ferruginous beneath ; 

 and tlie legs orange, varied with tawny. 



The caterpillar is a thick whiti-h fleshy grub, which feeds upon the wood of the trunks of willow and aspen 

 trees, to which it sometimes occasions great damage. The pupa is elongated, and of a dark chestnut colour. 

 The caterpillar changes to the chrysalis in April, and the perfect insect is produced towards the end of June. 



The Sesia Sireciformis of Laspcyres and Iliibner, is evidently described from specimens of this species which 

 have become greased. S. Tencbrioniformis of Iliibner and Esper appears also intended for similar individuals. 



SPECIES 2.— SPHECIA BKMBECIFORiMIS. THE LUNAR HORNET MOTH. 



Plate vii. fig. 1 ami 1.'). 



Scsia Bembeciformis, llubnev, Sphinx, pi. '-'0, f. 98 ; Ochscnbei- 



Synonymf^. — Sphinj! cralroniformis, Lewin in Linn. Trans. 

 V. 3, pi. 3, fig. 6 — 10 ; Hawortli ; (Scsia cr. — ncc \V. V. net- Fiibncii 

 iicc Hiibncri, ncc Laspeyrcsii) ; Donovan's Brit. Ins., v. 13, pi. 4'M'i. 



Trochilium crabroniformey Stephens. 



nier. 



TrocliUium Bemheciforme, Curtis, Brit. Ent., pi. 372, fig. *. 

 /'E(/eria Bemheciformis, Newman, Ent. ^lag. i., 75. 



The expansion of the wings in this species is less than in the preceding, varying from 18 to 20 lines. It is 

 of a darker ground-colour, with a black head ; the palpi above, yellow. Tiie thorax has a narrow transverse 

 line of the same colour on the nock : there are also two obscure patches of the same colour at tiie side of the 

 scutellum. Tlie abdomen has the first and second segments entirely, as well as the broad posterior margin of 

 the third and fourth, black, the remainder of the fourth being dark -red brown ; the remainder of the abdomen 

 is orauffe- yellow, with the hind niarcin of the se"iiicnts darker. The margins and ciliw of the wings are narrow ; 

 the thighs are brown ; the tibifc very densely clothed with orange hairs. 



The caterpillar is whitish, with a brown spot formed by the ocelli on each side near the legs. It feeds upon 

 the wood of the sallow, occasionally committing much devastation in the osier grounds, as we learn from 

 Sir. Bree's Memoir, published in the new series of the Magazine of Natural History, vol. 1, p. It) ; (and see 

 Loudon's Arboretum Britannicum, p. 1482; Lewiu in Linn. Trans., v. 3; and Blomer in Mag. Nat. Hist., 1st 

 ser., No. 21.) The caterpillar spins its cocoon in November, but does not change to the pupa till May ; and the 

 imago appears in July. 



It is much rarer than the preceding species. Darenthwood, and near Newcastle, Norfolk and Suffolk, are 

 recorded localities. The Rev. W. T. Bree has taken it near Dudley, and reared it from larvae found near 

 Coventry ; and I have taken the males sitting sunning themselves on the leaves of osiers on the Surrey side of 

 Hammersmith bridge, and alternately raising and depressing the abdomen, but on the least approach of danger 

 they fall to the ground. 



The first notice of this species which I can find is that of Lewin in the Linnaean Transactions, where it 

 appeared under the name of Crabroniformis. The same name had, however, previously been given in the Wiener 

 Verzeichniss to the Linna\in apiformis ; so that on that account alone it ought to be rejected, as it is a beneficial 



f2 



