



Se a) 
ae 
od BRITISH MOTHS 
SPHECIA, Husner. 
( Trochilium, Stephens, Curtis; Aigeria, Newman ; T'rochilium, p., Scopoli; Algeria, p., Fabricius ; Sesia, p., Ochsenheimer, Godart. ) 

This genus is at once distinguished from the rest of the family by the larger size of the species of which it 
is composed. The abdomen is very robust and thickened, and destitute of a fan-tail (except a very minute one 
in the males) ; the spiral tongue is very short and almost rudimental ; the palpi are moderately long, but curved 
obliquely upwards ; the antenne are rather short and thick, and pectinated in the males. To these characters 
must be added the diversity in the habits of the perfect insects already noticed in our observations upon the 
family. | Notwithstanding these differences (which repose both upon structure and economy) the Hornet 
moths are still united into a single genus with the rest of the family, by most of the French and German writers. 
Hiibner was the first author who separated them from the smaller species, under the excellent name employed 
above ; given in allusion to their wasp-like appearance. Mr. Stephens, however, gave them the name of 
Trochilinm, which Scopoli had used for the entire family. As, however, Scopoli alludes in his generic character to 
the tufted abdomen of most of the species, it is evident that he did not regard these insects as its types ; his name 
Trochilium, proposed in allusion to the humming-bird, being moreover applicable only to the smaller species. 
Fabricius, again, placed the hornet moth, S. apiformis, at the head of his genus Aigeria ; but it is evident that he 
did not derive his character therefrom, as he expressly says that the palpi are projecting, which is the character 
of the smaller. species. Mr. Newman, notwithstanding this, reverses the nomenclature of the two groups as 
adopted by Stephens and Curtis, calling the hornet moths, Aigeria, and the currant moth, &c., Trochilium ; 
although in the character of his genera (Ent. Mag. 1, p. 73), he indicates the distinction in the palpi 
as of primary importance. In doing this, he was actuated by the consideration that the hornet moths were the 
types of the family ; observing, “‘ when the septenary system is thus reduced to units, as I may say, I find the 
largest species * is invariably the type or centre.” I however ask any unprejudiced entomologist, whether the 
hornet moths can be considered as pre-eminently exhibiting the characters of the family, which, as expressed by 
almost every species, consist in the great activity of the insects, their elegant forms and tufted tails. The hornet 
moths, in fact, have precisely as little claim to be considered as the types of this family, as the death’s-head moth 
has to be regarded as the prominent type of the Sphingide. Mr. Stephens, by his observation that the hornet 
moths approach in habit to the Bombycide, has clearly shown their aberrant character. 
There are two British species of this genus, the synonymes of which have been greatly confused. 

SPECIES 1.—SPHECIA APIFORMIS. THE HORNET MOTH. 
Plate vii. fig. 2and 16. 
SynonymeEs.— Sphinx apiformis, Linneus, Donovan, vol. 1, pl. 25; Trochilium apiformis, Scopoli; Stephens; Curtis, Brit. Ent., pl. 
Lewin, in Linn. Trans., vol. 3, pl. 3, fig. 1—5; Harris, Exposition, | 372, fig. * *; Wood, Ind. Ent., t. 4, f. 23; Duncan, Brit. Moths, pl. 
pl. 3, f. 7; Haworth. 13, fig. 1. 
Sesia apiformis, Fabricius, Laspeyres, Godart, Ochsenheimer, Sphecia apiformis, Hiibner. 
Zetterstedt, Dalman, (Zygexn. Suec.) Sphinz crabroniformis, Wien. Verz.; Hiibn. Sphinx, pl. 8, fig. 
Aigeria apiformis, Fabricius, Newman. 51; Ernst. 
This fine species varies in the expansion of its fore wings from 19 to 22 lines, and is at once distinguished from 
* Gigantic size, in fact, appears to me to constitute aberration rather than typicality. 

