4 o
¥i’N
l e p i d o p t e r a .
S P H I N X N E C H U s.
S P E C I F I C C H A R A C T E R .
Wings e n tire : anterior pair greenilh, with teftaceons marks. Pofterior pair b la c k ; a band of yellow fpots
acrofs the wings, and a fingle fpot near the bafe.
S em x xN aC H n s: alis integris : anticis viridibus; ftriga teftacea, pofticis nigris ; maculis bafeos fafciaque
flavis, Fal. Eat. Syfi. 3. p . 1. 3?7- «3.
The number of Chinefe fpecies of this genns, already defcribed, is very limited: our prefent .n fe a i.
th e largeft o f th em ; but, as this is inferior in fize to feveral kinds fonud in Europe, we conceive there
muft remain many larger fpecies of the genus unknown to colleaors o f foreign infea s, and yet veo- common
in China. In the latter part of Sir G. Staunton's work, th a t author mentions the larva o f a Sftuna
Mo,h which furniih an artiole for the table o f the Chinefe. W e regret that the Indefinite expreffion cannot
affift us to determine the fpecies, and fcarcely thc genus, of the in fe a alluded to '.
The fpecimen figured in the annexed plate, is in the colleaion of M r. Francillon, who received it from
China A fmall variety o f the fame fpecies is found in North America, and figured by Cramer. Sphinx
Batus and Sphinx Gnoma are nearly allied to this in fe a , particnlarly the forme r; both are found in dif-
ferent parts of the Eaft Indies.
. European noturalifts are entirely ignorant ot the Chinefe inteHs in the ftate ot larva and pupa, if we except a few fpeeies
o f the Cimices, Cicada, and fome altogether unintetefting mteSs, that have been accidentally brought among others ftom that
country. Hence it muft remain undetermined whether they conefpond in fotm with thofe o f other part, of the wotld. It is,
however, highly probable, ftom thei, great affinity to thofe, in the perfefl ftate, that in the ftate ot larva they may alfo agree.
T h e extenfive colleaion ot the larva of fphingea made by Mr. Abbot in N orth America afford, no fingul.cly conftmaed animal
diftina ftom thofe found in Europe; they vary indeed in their colours, but preferve uniformly the charaaers found on the fame
genu, in other countties. We noticed among the drawing, of the late Mr. Br.dftiaw thc figure of a Chinefe fphlnx, apparently
S B yh ,, together with a lawa fim il.t to that ot the Sphinx Stcll.tatum i it was green, and, like all the known l. r v . of the g en» ,,
(except the divifion) was perfcaiy free ftom hairs i it was rifo fumlfhed with a horn at the poftetio, part o t the body.