568 
RHYNCHOLABA; RHAGASTIS. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
castanea. 
acteus. 
mongoliana. 
pallieosta. 
vclala. 
jordani. 
acuta. 
green with a very short, crooked caudal horn, on the 4th ring a dark-centred fictitious eye being three times 
surrounded, rings 5 to 10 with oblique, creamy-white, black-edged oval spots. On the - Euphorbiacea Aporosa 
leptostachya. Pupa with a proboscis-snout projecting like a listle, though not forming a nose; imago rare 
compared with the common larva *), presumably because many larvae are stung by a big wasp and because 
the imagines emerge irregularly. From Ceylon and India through Assam and Burmah to South China. 
Th. castanea Mr. (= hyporhoda Hmps.) (68 d). Similar to pallieosta , but plainly nut-brown, not 
purple brown; the broader forewings are without the white costal and inner margins, with a black central dot, 
and traversed by 2 red-brown bands. South India. 
68. Genus: Ithyncliolaba R. u. J. 
This genus contains but 1 unmistakable green and brown species separated from all the Sphingidae 
known by a very peculiar shape of the 2nd joint of the palpi forming a long double snout. 
Rh. acteus Cr. (= butleri Rothsch.) (68 d). Yellowish-brown, thorax and base of abdomen beautifully 
marked green, through the forewing a bright green oblique band from the apex, growing very broad at the 
inner margin. Under surface intensely spotted reddish. Young larva green, later on often dark brown, in 
front very pointed; on the 4th ring a very large, expressive fictitious eye, surrounded by yellow and above 
shaded with dark; on the other rings lateral light ovals and below them dark oblique patches. Horn very small. 
On various plants, especially Araceae and Ampelideae; particularly on Alocasia macrorhiza and Vitis tenuifolia; 
also on Taro (Colocasia) and Amorphophallus variabilis, on Caladium and other plants. Pupa with a long 
proboscis-nose which is bent down in a circle, very slender. Imago not rare, distributed from India and Ceylon 
across Indo-China and the Sunda Is. to Buru, to the north across South China as far as the Lu-Chu Is., to the 
east as far as the Philippines. 
69. Genus: llhagastfs R. u. J. 
All the forms (about 20) composing this genus occur in the Indo-Australian region; only one is also 
distributed in the palaearctic region, and another species touches it in West China. As to the characteristics 
cf. Vol. II, p. 259. The various species of the genus are very much alike, and some are difficult to separate, 
often only by anatomical comparison. But little is known of the early stages, i. e. the observations stated in 
the excellent work of R. Mell on Chinese Sphingid larvae, and the figures and notes of Nagano on Japanese 
Sphingidae. Accordingly, some resemble the larva of the European Perg. porcellus ; others are remarkable 
for the specially developed lateral oblique stripes which sometimes cross three segments. 
Rh. mongoliana Btlr. (Vol. II, pi. 42 f) and the following species jordani are the only ones hitherto 
known from the palaearctic region, mongoliana has the same almost olive-brown dirty colour as most of the 
others; for further particulars cf. Vol. II, p. 259. — pallieosta Mell are South-Chinese specimens with a lighter 
under surface than palaearctic ones, the costal margin of the forewing is here lighter, greyish-yellow, and the 
golden brown of the anterior body is duller. Larva dull earth-brown, the anterior portion with a loamy tint; 
on the 4th ring laterally a slightly prominent brown fictitious eye surrounded by yellowish-brown. On the sides 
of the 5th to 10th rings there are small yellowish spots and below them greyish-yellow, darker reticulated 
brightenings similar to the scales of a snake. On vine, Cissus, Impatiens, and Berberis vulgaris, perhaps also 
Polygonum aviculare. The imagines are very common in Japan, but decidedly rarer in the south of China; 
some specimens exhibit a very prominent bone-coloured marginal area. 
Rh. velata Wlcr. (68 d) is dark nut-brown. The forewing in the marginal area slightly tinted loamy 
yellow. Three basal transverse lines in the basal area and 4 oblique undulate lines in the disc, which however 
are not always so distinctly and completely visible as in the figured specimen. Sometimes there is also in the 
hindwing a more remarkable yellowish brightening in the inner-marginal and distal-marginal parts. Hitherto 
only known from the Himalaya and the Khasia Hills in Assam. 
Rh. jordani Oberth. has been described in Vol. II, p. 259 (as jordana), because it was hitherto only taken 
in Siao-lu, thus in the palaearctic part of West China. This place, however, is situate so near to the frontier 
of the Indo-Australian region that the species will very probably be found in the latter region in a very short 
time, for which reason we mention the species here. 
Rh. acuta Wlcr. (68 e). Similar to velata (68 cl), but the transverse lines of the forewing are less distinct, 
often having disapjieared altogether save very feeble traces. Easily recognizable by the rather strongly dentate 
margin of the hindwing. Himalaya, Khasia Hills, and Malacca. 
*) R. Mell sometimes succeeded in collecting up to 50 larvae a day. 
