DAPHNIDIBI. 245 



The Daphnids proper, as we show later (infra), incline more 

 to the Philampelid than to the Eumorphid (sens, strict.') branch. 

 They are quite outside the latter on adult larval characters, and, 

 with the Acosmerj'gids and possibly other tribes, form a short 

 branch arising close to where the main Philampelid and Eumorphid 

 branches (anted, p. 140) separated. 



Tribe : Daphnididi. 



The Daphnid tribe belongs rather to the Philampelid Eumorphids 

 than to the Eumorphids (sens, strict.), and is, possibly, somewhat closely 

 allied to the Acosmerygids. Its larva is so far Philampelid that 

 it has (1) the subdorsal line well-developed, and (2) no abdominal 

 ring- or eye-spots. The imago has also the Philampelid and 

 not the Eumorphid type of marking, which is dominated by the 

 streak from the apex. On the other hand, the Daphnid larva has 

 developed a highly-specialised eye-spot on the metathorax, whilst 

 the Daphnids further disagree with the Philampelids in that the 

 pupa is of that form which we have educated ourselves to look 

 upon as a surface one (in this respect agreeing with the 

 Acosmerygids), whilst that of the latter is subterranean. The 

 pupal characters appear to be close to those of the Hippotionids. 

 On the whole, however, the Daphnids are nearer the Philampelids 

 than the Eumorphids (sens, strict.). Kirby notes (Handbook, iv., 

 pp. 38-39) that, in the Philampelids, " the imagines are mostly 

 green or brown, with the costal half of the hindwings lighter green. 

 . . All the species of Philampelus and its allies are American, 

 except Euchloron, Bdv., which includes one or two species with 

 bright green forewings and black and yellow hindwings, which 

 inhabit Africa and Madagascar." He further considers that the 

 genus Daphnis represents Philampelus in the Old World, but notes 

 that " the antennae are less hooked, the wings narrower and more 

 pointed, and the hind tibiae armed with five very long spurs." It 

 is, however, in the larval stage that great differences appear, 

 although even the broader larval and pupal characters suggest in 

 some measure, a distinct alliance. The peculiarity of the larvae 

 of the Nearctic Philampelids is that they have a long caudal horn 

 in the 1st instar, but this is lost before they become adult, e.g., the 

 larva of Philampelus vitis is green and has a long, slender, recurved, 

 reddish horn when it hatches, becoming, however, reddish-brown 

 without a caudal horn when adult, whilst the young larva of P. 

 ijandorus has a very long, straight, pink caudal horn, which curls 

 up and shortens, and is altogether lost at the third moult, whilst 

 the newly-hatched larva of Pholus achemon, with a slender recurved 

 reddish caudal horn half as long as its body, loses it altogether 

 before reaching maturity, its place being represented only by a 

 polished tubercle with a central black dot. Most of these larvae 

 have a dark mediodorsal line, a pale subdorsal line, whilst the 

 abdominal segments 2— 8 have a series of pale blotches containing 

 the spiracles, the blotches being really modified oblique lines, with 

 a front to back slope from the anterior edge of the segment, just 

 below the subdorsal line. 



With regard to the Daphnid imago, Kaye gives (in litt.) the 

 following characters : 



