LEPIDOPTERA. 
335 
above with dark green. When disturbed it assumes the 
threatening attitude shown in the figure. 
The Tomato-worm, Phlegethontius celeus (Phleg-e-thon'- 
ti-us ce'le-us).— This larva is the best known of all our 
Sphinxes, as it may be found feeding on the leaves of 
tomato, tobacco, or potato wherever these plants are grown 
in our country. It resembles in its general appearance the 
larva of Sphinx chersis (Fig. 408); but its favorite attitude 
is with the fore end of the body slightly raised. It is usu¬ 
ally green, but individuals are often found that are brown, 
or even black. There appear at frequent intervals in the 
newspapers accounts of people being injured by a poison 
excreted by the caudal horn of this larva; but there is 
absolutely no foundation whatever for such stories. The 
pupa (Fig. 412) is often ploughed up in gardens, and attracts 
attention on account of 
its curious tongue-case, 
which is free, resembling 
the handle of a pitcher. 
The moth is a superb 
creature, expanding four F,c ' **«'• 
or five inches. It is of many delicate shades of ash-gray, 
marked with black or very dark gray; there are a few short 
black dashes on the fore part of the thorax, and some irregular 
black spots edged with white on the posterior part; the 
abdomen is gray with a black middle line, and five yellow, 
almost square spots along each side. Each of these spots is 
bordered with black, and has a white spot above and be¬ 
low, on the edge of the segment. The hind wings are 
crossed by four blackish lines, of which the two interme¬ 
diate are zigzag. 
The Tobacco-worm, Phlegethontius Carolina (Phleg-e-thon'- 
ti-us car-o-li'na).—This species closely resembles the preced¬ 
ing, and the two are often mistaken the one for the other. 
The larvae have similar habits, feeding on the same plants. 
But the moths are easily distinguished. This species is brown- 
