THE HAWK-MOTHS OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK 



CITY. 



B\ Wll.l I AM . M • 1 I IK. 



Curator of the Department of Entomology.' 



Family Sphingida. 



The members of the family of Sphingidae are commonly 

 called "Hawk-Moths" on account of their powerful and rapid 

 flight and their beak-like proboscis. Some of the species are also 

 called Hummingbird Moths, owing to their peculiar habit of 

 hovering like a hummingbird over flowers while drawing up 

 nectar with their long proboscis. Some species fly during mid- 

 day in the hot sunshine, while others fly late in the afternoon 

 and at night. 



The moths have long, narrow fore wings, with an oblique, 

 excavated or scolloped outer margin. The hind wings are much 



rter, with the outer margin entire, the anal angle usually pro- 

 duced and the apex rounded <>r pointed. 



The head is usually clothed with smooth seales, or has a tuft 

 between the antennae. The eyes are hemispherical, and as a 

 rule lashed with hairs in front above. '1'he proboscis is well 

 developed in most of the species, and is nearly as long as or 

 longer than the body. When not in use the organ is curled up 

 like a watch-spring, between the palpi. The antenna- are 



form, eiliate in the male and simple in the female, and with 

 the tip more <>r less Lent into a ho<.k. In some species the 

 antenna- are club-shaped, with a few short, bristle-like hairs 



be tip. 



The thorax is well developed, either with the vestiture sm< ©th f 

 vith the posterior portion with ereci scales, or with the an- 

 terior portion with an I tuft. 



long and graceful, with tl ents 



lually tapering. Son* led with a mon 



in-like tuft at the end of the body. 

 The mooth, oval or oblong oval. They are 



usually laid Singly, on the under and th< 



3 



