SPHINX. By B. Gehle'n. 
139 
5. Genus: Sphinx L 
S. ligustri L. (Vol. 2, p. 235, pi. 36 c). — ab. grisea Gloss (12 c) is a curious individual form, which 
on account of its grey colouration without any admixture of rose reminds one of the related american spec¬ 
ies drupiferarum Abb. & Sm. (Vol. 6, p. 860, pi. 95 c). Also hindwings and abdominal spots are grey instead 
of red. — A similarly very extreme aberration is ab. perversa Gehlen (12 b). Forewings with sharply outlined 
dark area towards base. On hindwings the two inner black bands are completely merged throughout their 
length, leaving however the rose basal area free and forming (when set) a continuation of the dark surface 
of forewings. As the black outerband is displaced outwardly a wide rose central band is created. — ab. 
unifasciata Gschw. has the two inner black bands absent, whilst the third, outer one is expanded and diffuse 
inwardly. The red of hindwings is very pale outwardly and duskily dusted over. — Two subspecies of ligustri are 
to be mentioned, one being from N. Africa, where until 1916 ligustri had not been captured, the other is from 
East Asia closely resembling constricta Btlr. and possibly only an aberration of same, as it is described from 
a single specimen: — nisseni R. & J. from Algeria reminds one of a dark european ligustri. Forewings without 
yellowish tone; the 2 grey submarginal lines being confluent before the outer margin. On hindwings the 1st 
and 2nd black bands are wide and conjoined from near the cell to the abdominal margin; the black submar¬ 
ginal band is wider than the red discal band and the blackish grey margin is wider than in lig. ligustri. 
Underside darker; the black discal band of forewings uniformly black without any indication of subdivision. 
The black median band of hindwings expands behind the 2nd median and the grey band on its outer edge 
is not so distinct as in lig. ligustri. $ not yet known. — chishimensis Mats, from the Kurile Islands (Shiko- 
tan) is very similar to constricta Btlr. (Vol. 2, pi. 36 c). The main difference is that the two inner black bands 
of hindwings form a single band without a trace of rose between; the outer band is broader and therefore 
the margin is narrower. The pale rose median band is, according to the original description, abt. 4 times 
as wide as in constricta (?). On underside forewings have a wider pale postmedian band. Hindwings with 2 
equally wide black bands (in constricta the outer one is paler) of which the inner one is not distinctly dent¬ 
ate along the veins; the white band between these bands is whiter. $ unknown. 
S. pinastri L. (Vol. 2. p. 235, pi. 36 d). — ab. albescens Cockayne. From England. Body and wings 
cream coloured. Wings with sparse brown scales, the two transverse bands of forewing and the space between 
same at hind margin pale buff; apical streak and the 3 streaks behind same also buff. Longitudinal streak 
on thorax buff; that on abdomen similar to grey-brown. — ab. vittata Gloss is a fairly common form with 
well developed transverse bands with dark streaks. — ab. ferrea Gloss is a fairly dark, iron-grey form, which can 
scarcely be differentiated from the type. — ab. albicolor Cockayne is also from England and only differs from 
ab. albescens Cockayne, by a denser interspersion of brown scales, so that is appears darker. Also the dark 
markings of body are darker. In both aberrations the blue-grey tone of the main type form is absent. ab. 
rubida Cab. is red-brown on upperside of wings and thorax, streaks are brown-black, abdominal markings 
typically black. — ab. stehri Stephan (12 b) is remarkable owing to the strong contrast between fore and 
hindwings. The former are grey-white, whilst the latter are black with white streaks along costa; the central 
shade and the streaks on forewings are very prominent. Also patagia are white with narrow black longi¬ 
tudinal stripes; captured on the Kapuzinerplatte near Bad Altheide. — ab. semilugens Andreas is a nice form 
with dark brown or black central area to forewings, which is edged on both sides by grey-white, thus forming 
a black band with white borders. — Finally we have ab. minor Stephan with indistinct apical streak and 
abdominal marks; the dark marginal spots are absent and length of forewings is only 27—29 mm (this seems 
to be a degenerate or starved form). — Now follow 5 subspecies described by Dr. Jordan, one being east- 
asiatic and the others, remarkable to relate, european. The latter vary from one another, solely by the dif¬ 
ferent structure of the sexual apparatus. In all therefore there are now 7 pinastri subspecies known, which 
Dr. Jordan divides into 3 groups according to the formation of the genitalia (Nov. Zook XXXVI, p. 243, 
1931). The 10th segment, with the exception of the 2 asiatic races, shows only individual differences and 
therefore has been left out of consideration in the subdivision. The differences refer partly to the aedeagus 
but chiefly to the valve, respectively the harpe: 
I. Upper and lower branches of the harpe fairly equally long - , the upper one being - widest behind the centre; apical 
apophysis of aedeagus short: = 'pinastri morio JR. <0 J. (Vol. 2, pi. 36 d), pinastri arestus Jord. 
IT. Upper branch of the harpe much longer than the lower, more or less heavily curved, almost always cylindrical 
in the apical half, no prongs or only rudimentary. Apical apophysis of aedeagus long: = pinastri pinastri L., pinastri ce¬ 
nt sius Jord., pinastri medialis Jord. 
III. Both branches of the harpe short, the upper one flat, pronged, triangularly elongated, pointed, proximally wide: 
= pinastri massiliensis Jord., pinastri maurorum Jord. — arestus Jord. from the mouth of the Amur, i. e. Ussuri terri¬ 
tory, is very close to p. morio R. & J. from Japan. The black stripe on patagia not as wide as in morio, the stripe be¬ 
tween this and base of wings fainter grey. Forewings more uniformly grey, the black-brown shade at hind margin and on 
the disc being less distinct, longitudinal streaks absent or only just traceable, apical streak narrow, white checks in fringe 
smaller on both wings. On underside the shadowy discal band is narrower on both wings than the grey marginal area (in 
p. morio they are equally large). The $ is unknown. 
1 jrisea. 
perversa. 
unifasciata. 
nisseni. 
chishimen¬ 
sis. 
albescens. 
vittata. 
ferrea. 
albicolor. 
rubida. 
stehri. 
semilugens. 
minor. 
