198 SPHINGID^J. 



brown, leaves the food-plant and burrows into the earth. 

 In the case of those bred by us the cell was merely a hollow 

 on the surface of the earth, but this was probably due to the 

 depth of earth provided not being sufficient for such large 

 larvae. The body becomes shorter and stouter, and be- 

 smeared plentifully with slime, which spreads to the sur- 

 rounding earth. This slime appears to be secreted from 

 the whole surface of the body, and not merely from the 

 spinneret, and has a strong and very distinctive smell. 

 The pupa is very stiff and, except for a few days after pupation, 

 does not make any perceptible movement when handled. 

 The wings of the moth take a long time to dry, and if a specimen 

 is required for setting it should not be killed too soon after 

 emerging. It is very sluggish during the day, but if alarmed 

 raises its body and raises and partly opens its wings, at the 

 same time making a hissing or squeaking note similar to that 

 made by the Death's-head Moths. In the resting position 

 the wings are held steeply penthouse -wise and the abdomen 

 is bent upwards. The species is very common in the Khasi 

 Hills, and the large caterpillar does considerable damage in 

 orchards by defoliating the trees. Eggs were found from the 

 end of April and larvae up to about the end of August. The 

 moth does not appear to be attracted by light, and we have 

 never caught it at flowers. 



Genus RHODOPRASINA Rothschild & Jordan. (Fig. 45). 

 Roths & Jord., 1903, p. 292 ; id., 1907, p. 59. 



Genotype : fioralis (Butl.). 



Imago. — " J$. Tongue very short and weak. Palpus very 

 small, closely appressed to the head, this crested between the 

 antennae. Lower half of eye covered by a tuft of long hair- 

 scales. Antenna of $ simple, cylindrical, without seriate 

 prolonged cilia ; of $ peculiar, the side-grooves deep, extending 

 all round the ventral side of the segment, the basal and apical 

 edges of each segment produced ventrad, as shown in figure, 

 this projection widened laterad near end, appearing spatulate 

 in a ventral view. Tibiae with very few spines at the end ; 

 anterior tibia ending in a long naked thorn [no thorn in 

 R. callantha] ; spurs of mid- and hind tibia very short, one 

 pair to hind tibia ; pulvillus and paronychium present. 

 Cell of hind wing broad, lower angle not acute, about 90°, 

 R 2 from centre of cell, stalk of SC 2 and R 1 rather short. Distal 

 margin of fore wing dentate. Scales of abdominal tergite 

 long, no broad under-scales, apical spines weak " (Roths. & 

 Jord., I. c, 1903). 



Hob. E. Himalayas. Two species. For the early stages 

 see under B. callantha. 



