MANDUCA ATROPOS. 455 



and inaccurate statement as far as the $ s are concerned. Double- 

 day states (loc. cit., p. 303) that he bred, on September 16th, 3 specimens, 

 1 S and 2 2 s, both the 2 s being barren, the abdomina 

 containing nothing but fatty matter just like those of $ s. Merrin 

 also notes (loc. cit., p. 325) breeding eggless $ s in September, 1865. 

 Bartel says (Pal. Gross-Schmett., ii., p. 4) that the imagines of 

 M. airopos (as also all other Sphingid imagines which exceptionally 

 emerge in autumn) have imperfectly-formed sexual organs, and are 

 consequently unfitted for reproduction, and asserts that the continuance 

 of the species is entirely dependent on hybernated pupae. He states that, 

 according to Kreye and Oudemans, who examined moths bred in 

 spring from hybernated pupae, the ovipositors of the ? s also proved to 

 be undeveloped, and quite unable to produce progeny. The con- 

 tinuance of the species in our latitudes, therefore, he concludes, depends 

 entirely upon immigrants from the south. There is little other proof, we 

 believe, that either the spring- or autumnal-emerging imagines have 

 imperfectly-formed sexual organs. On the other hand, we believe that 

 they are usually absolutely normal. The examples examined by 

 Kreye and Oudemans were possibly quite aberrational. Pabst (from 

 whom Bartel appears to have copied may of his facts), however, makes 

 the same statement ; he says that he forced 4 pupae, that 1 $ and 2 $ s 

 emerged in December and another 2 on April nth following; he asserts 

 that " even the one which was so long in pupa, proved sexually sterile, 

 lacking the normal ovipositor." He says that, both in the north and 

 south, the autumnal broods are infertile, the 2nd brood in the 

 north, the 3rd brood in the south. As bearing on these state- 

 ments of Newman and Bartel, so far as the reputed absence 

 of $ autumnal emergences is concerned, Andrews notes ( Ent., 

 hi., p. 2) that he reared an imago in the autumn of 1865, that 

 it was examined by Houghton microscopically to see if it were a 

 $ , and, if so, whether the genital organs were in any way imper- 

 fect, and that he reported: "The specimen is a $ , and I see 

 nothing abnormal in the structure of the genital organs ; the bulb- 

 like testes . . . were full of active spermatozoa." Chudleigh 

 notes (Ent.j xxix., p. 363) that he reared a moth on October 5th, 

 1896, that he "fed it on honeycomb and a doll's saucer of water. 

 As days went by the colours improved wonderfully, the skull and 

 bones became singularly distinct," &c. We do not know how the 

 moth could feed on a "doll's saucer," nor do we suspect that, after the 

 first few hours after emergence, the skull and cross-bones became 

 more distinct than before. In the late autumn of 1900, Bacot kept 

 several moths alive (1) in a warm room (3 days), (2) in a cool room 

 (without fire), he gave them honey in abundance but they refused to 

 feed and only lived a few days {in lilt.). 



Time of appearance. — This is a tropical and subtropical * 



* Many continental lepidopterists have agreed that the species has followed 

 the extended cultivated area of the potato in Europe, quite overlooking the fact that 

 the potato itself is an introduced plaut, and that the larvae feed naturally on a host of 

 other indigenous plants (see " Foodplants "). The species is a strong flier, often 

 passing out of its proper range, laying its ova on such foodplants as occur where it 

 happens to be, frequently on potato, because of its general distribution and common- 

 ness. The potato, by the nature of its cultivation, provides an abundance of food, 

 and, in suitable seasons, the larvae thrive, the species only failing to make a permanent 

 home because the late larvae and pupae fail to withstand the severity of our late 

 autumn and long winter climate. 



