mai
T A B . L X I .
P H A L Æ N A R E G I A .
R O Y A L P E R S IM M O N M O T H .
DI O S P YR OS V I R G I N I A N A . L IN N .
P E R S IM M O N , . O R A M E R I C A N D A T E P L U M .
2*. EOMB YC E S E L IN G U E S , A L I S L E P E E S S I S , DORSO L A SVI.
P h . Bombyx elinguis, alis deflcxis grifco-fufcis flavo maculatis falvoque nervolis : pofticis
corporeque fulvis.
Bombyx regalis.
Phalæna Laocoon. »■
vend. V. 4. 436.
. 1 U- f. B. C.?
F e e d s on Perfimmon, W a ln u t, Hickory, and Sumach. One w e n t into th e ground
Ju n e l6 th , and came out the 27th o f July; another th e 5 th o f Auguft, and remained
in th e chryfalis. till May gth. This caterpillar is called in Virginia th e Hickory
Horned Devil. W h e n difturbed it draws up its head as in the figure, fliaking or
fin k in g it from fide to fide, and making a formidable appearance, infomuch th a t I
never law any one wh o would venture to handle it, people in general dreading it as
much as a rattle-fnake. Neverthelefs it is perfectly harmlefs, neither flinging by its
horns nor any other part. W h e n I have handled this animal in the pretence o f the
negroes, to convince them it was innocent, th ey would reply th a t it could n o t
fling me, b u t would them. W h e n this caterpillar changes to a chrylalis, th e horns
come off w ith th e lkin. I t is n o t common, and is generally found folitary, only
one o f them being on a tree a t a time. Wh en fmall they are black. Our figure is
ra th e r under the full fize. ■
The fpecimen of this infedt in Mr. Lee’s cabinet, from which Fabricius made his defcrip-
tioD, is a male, and has pedtinated antennae with a taper point, as in our Ph. imperatoria and
its allies, to which indeed this is fomewhat related; but its wings are deflexed, not reverfed,
and therefore it could not be placed with thofe fpecies. We believe it really belongs to that
tribe of moths which Linnaeus has called Noftiue elingues, as the whole ftyle of its colouring
very perceptibly indicates. It has truly no tongue, but the pedtinated antennae of the male
forbid us to call it a Nothin. Yet fome of the tribe to which we allude have pedtinated antennae,
as Ph. lupulina, and a large new fpecies from New South Wales like Ph. Strix. If a
natural diftribution of thefe animals lhould ever be difcovered, it muff be from, more obferva-
tions upon them through all their changes than have yet been made. What we offer are only
very partial hints towards this deiirable end.