GRAPE-VINE SPHINGES. 
325 
to which I have given the name of Philampelus,* from the 
circumstance that the larvae or caterpillars live upon the 
grape-vine. When young they have a long and slender tail 
recurved over the hack like that of a dog ; hut this, after 
one or two changes of the skin, disappears, and nothing 
remains of it hut a smooth, eye-like, raised spot on the top 
of the last segment of the body. Some of these caterpillars 
are pale green and others are brown, and the sides of their 
body are ornamented by six cream-colored spots, of a broad 
oval shape, in the species which produces the Satellitia of 
Linnaeus ; narrow oval and scalloped, in that which is trans- 
formed to the species called Achemon (Fig. 150) by Drury. 13 
Fig. 150. 
They have the power of withdrawing the head and the first 
three segments of the body within the fourth segment, which 
gives them a short and blunt appearance when at rest. As 
they attain to the length of three inches or more, and are 
thick in proportion, they consume great quantities of leaves ; 
and the long leafless branches of the vine too often afford 
evidence of their voracity. They also devour the leaves 
of the common creeper ( Ampelopsis quinquefolia ), which, 
with those of our indigenous vines, were their only food till 
the introduction and increased cultivation of foreign vines 
afforded them an additional supply. They come to their 
growth during the month of August, enter the earth to 
transform, and appear in the winged or moth state the 
following summer, in June and July. The Satellitia Ilawk- 
moth (Plate V. Fig. 2) expands from four to five inches, 
* The literal signification of this word is, Hove the vine. 
[ 13 P. aehemon is Sphinx cruntor Cramer and Hiibner. — Morris.] 
