GENERAL INTRODUCTION. O 



In accordance with the latest practice we have used the 

 termination " ini " instead of " ic^: " for the names of 

 tribes. 



The food-plants of the larvae have been given, so far as they 

 are known, but in the case of the more common species some 

 have been omitted for want of space. 



II.— MORPHOLOGY. 



The Egg. 



Sphingid eggs are either nearly spherical or more or less 

 oval in shape ; they are broader than high. When oval 

 the egg lies with the longer axis parallel with the surface 

 to which it is attached. They vary from about 1 to 3 mm. 

 in length. The size is not always proportionate to the size 

 of the moth which lays it, the egg of the Convolvulus Hawk- 

 Moth, for example, being about the same size as those of most 

 of the Humming-bird Hawk-Moths, or about 1 mm. in length, 

 though the Convolvulus Hawk -Moth is nearly as large as the 

 Death's-head Hawk-Moths, whose eggs are about 2 mm. 

 in length. The surface is smooth, usually shining, though 

 sometimes dull to the naked eye, but under the microscope 

 slight shagreening or an indication of reticulation can be seen 

 in those of some species. When first laid the colour is often 

 whitish ; it may remain so, but usually turns some shade of 

 yellow or green, more rarely brown. There are seldom any 

 markings, though reddish bands and patches may appear 

 in those of the genera Marumba, Degmaptera and Panacra ; 

 such markings are possibly due to coloured parts of the 

 developing larva showing through the shell. 



Mell (1922) discusses very fully the morphology of the 

 sphingid egg and the number and proportion of embryos which 

 reach maturity. Apparently Herse has the greatest number 

 of embryos, all of which may reach maturity. Oxyambulyx 

 ocellata lays only a small number of comparatively large 

 eggs, from which, according to Mell, 88 may develop out of 

 a possible 371. He obtained a maximum of 132 embryos 

 out of 282 eggs of Clanis bilineata in China, but in many cases 

 in S. India specimens of that moth laid more than 280 eggs *. 



When the larva is about to emerge the head lies near one 

 end of the egg, and the body stretches back to the other end, 



* Mell considers the number of eggs laid by Herse convolvuli as 

 " gigantic," and also mentions as something extraordinary the 

 1,100 eggs laid by a Ghost-Moth (Hepialid^e). We once removed 

 the abdomen of an apparently defunct female Ghost-Moth {Phassus 

 nbalabaricus), and the detached abdomen laid 11,500 minute black eggs ! 



