170 



BRANCH ARTHROPODA 



Thp state fought it in every possible way, employing hundreds of men m 

 spraying, trunk-banding, and egg-collecting. From LS'JU to 1900 Massa- 

 chusetts spent more than a million dollars in keeping this moth in check. 

 The hawk moths (Sphin'gida) , sphynx moths (Fig. 141), or hummmg- 

 bird moths have a stout, spindle-shaped body and long, narrow, exceed- 

 ingly strong wings. The suck'ng tube is very long, sometimes twice as 

 long as the body. "When not in use, it is coiled up beneath the head like a 

 watch-spring. Their rich varied tints of olive, tan, black, or yellow, always 

 subdued, save for an occasional dash of bright color on the under parts, 

 mark them as rarely beautiful creatures. As a rule, these moths love the 



Fig. 



141. — Tomato-worm or tobacco-worm: larva, pupa, 

 (After Walsh and Riley, Am. Ent.) 



and adult. 



twilight, and strangely resemble the humming-birds from (heir habit of rap- 

 idly vibrating their wings while poising themsel\-cs over a flower and suck- 

 ing its nectar. 



The larva, naked and cylindric, usually has a " horn '' on the back of the 

 eighth abdominal segment. These caterpillars are usually green with 

 several oblique light-colored or whitish lines on each side (see Fig. 141). 

 When resting these caterpillars " rear the front of the body up in the air, 

 curl the head down in a most majestic manner, and remain thus rigidh- 

 motionless for hours."' They are thus supposed to resemble the I'^gyptian 

 sphynx, hence the name, sphynx moth. They feed upon the leaves of 



1 Kellogg, 331; 



