334 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



and tipped and banded with brown as shown in Figure 

 410. The hind wings are deep carmine at the middle, and 

 are bordered with pale tan or gray. Near the anal angle 

 there is a large black spot in which there is a pair of blue 

 spots, which suggested the name geminatus. The larva 

 feeds upon the leaves of apple, plum, elm, ash, and willow. 



Harris's Sphinx, Ellema harrisii (El-le'ma har-ris'i-i). — - 

 This sphinx has interested us chiefly on account of the 

 habits and markings of its larva (Fig. 411). It feeds upon 

 the foliage of pine, and is colored with 

 alternating green and white longitudi- 

 nal strips ; the dorsal stripe is green 

 spotted with red. It has a way of 

 hanging head downward in a pine tas- 

 sel that conceals it entirely from the 

 sight of all but very sharp eyes, its 

 stripes giving a close resemblance to 

 a bunch of pine leaves. The moth ex- 

 pands about two inches ; it is gray with 

 the fore wings marked by several series 

 of small brown spots. 



The Pen-marked Sphinx, Sphinx 

 chersis (Sphinx cher'sis). — This moth is 

 of an almost evenly distributed ashy- 

 gray color. This sombre color is relieved 

 somewhat by a black band on each 

 side of the abdomen, marked with four 

 or five white transverse bars ; by two 

 dark brown, smoky bands which cross 

 the hind wings ; and by a series of black 

 dashes on the fore wings, one in each 

 cell between the apex of the wing and the anal vein. These 

 dashes appear as if drawn casually with a pen. The larva (Fig. 

 408) is not uncommon upon ash and lilac ; it is greenish 

 or bluish white above, and darker below ; there are seven 

 oblique yellow bands on the sides of the body, each edged 



Fig. 41 



c. — Ellema harrisii, 

 larva. 



