LIBRARY

482 COLLEGE ENTOMOLOGY
and radius connected by a strong cross vein at or just before the middle of the
cell, then parallel to the end of the cell; folded fiat over the body in repose.
Abdomen robust and pointed or spindle-shaped; some species with expansile
tufts of hair at the anal end.
The larvre or hornwonns are large, robust, cylindrical, smooth, granulate,
tuberculate, and rarely with fine hairs; anterior segments retractile; abdominal
segments each with six to eight annulets; prolegs normal; posterior horn on
abdominal segment VIII is usually present in first instar and may be retained
throughout the larval stage or may be shed and replaced by a scar or tubercle;
longitudinal and lateral oblique body stripes and conspicuous markings around
the spiracles may be present. Some larvre assume grotesque attitudes which
are thought to be responsible for the common name "sphinx moths" of the
members of the family. They are wholly phytophagous and are usually solitary
but may at times occur in large numbers and do great damage to plant life.
Pupation occurs in thin cocoons in the litter on the ground or in subterranean
earthen cells. The pupre are normally smooth, shining, reddish-brown, cylin.
drical, and pointed posteriorly; the proboscis may be encased with the body or
in a separate pitcher-handle-like sheath. Hibernation frequently occurs in the
pupal condition, especially in the temperate regions.
The adults are well-known conspicuous moths which are among the swiftest
flying insects. They are capable of long sustained flights and certain widely
dislributed species, like the oleander hawkmoth, Daplmis nerii (Linn.), the
white-lined sphinx, Deilephila lineata (Fah.), the death's head moth, Acherontia
atropos (Linn.), the morning glory sphinx moth, Herse convolvuli (Linn.), and
the pink-spotted hawkmoth, Herse cingulata (Fab.) , migrate long distances.
Some of them have been taken hundreds of miles at sea. The moths fly mostly
at dusk and dawn, but those of the genera Cephonodes Hilbner, Ethiopian,
Oriental, and Australian, and H