SPHINX PINASTRI. Alis cinereis, anticis lineolis tribus confertis nigris;
abdomine fusco, cingulis atris suprà albo marginatis et dorso
interruptis. (Expans. Alar. 3 unc. 9 lin.)
SYN. Sphinx Pinastri, _Linn. Syst. Nat._ 2. 892. _No._ 22. _Sepp. Ins._
3. 23. _t._ 5. _Roesel. Ins. Belust._ 1. _Phal._ 1. _t._ 6. _Donov. Engl.
Ins._ ix. 10. _pl._ 296. _Fabr. Ent. Syst._ III. 1. 367. _No._ 35. _Gmel.
Linn. S. N._ 2385. 22. _Stephens Illust. Brit. Ent. Haust._ 1. 121.
HABITAT: Germany (_Drury_). England, and other parts of Europe.
_Upper Side._ Antennæ white on one side, and brown on the other. Head and
thorax brown grey; the latter at the base being ash-coloured, having a
black line running on each side. Abdomen brown grey, encircled with rings
of a dirty black, divided on the top by a broad line of brown grey,
through which runs a black line from the base to the extremity. Anterior
wings brown grey, with three short black lines in the middle of each
wing; at the tips rises another irregular narrow black line, running
towards the middle of the wing, and chequered with white and black.
Posterior wings brown grey, immaculate, being a little paler towards the
shoulders; the wings are entire. Cilia alternately black and white.
_Under Side._ The breast and abdomen are ash-coloured. All the wings
brown grey, immaculate. Cilia spotted as above.
This insect is attached to the pine, and is consequently found in the great
forests in Germany, and other parts of Continental Europe. This accounts
for its scarcity in England, and for its having been occasionally found in
the pine forests of Scotland by Dr. Leach and Mr. Wilson. The larva is
described by Mr. Stephens as being entirely yellow in its first skin, in
the second green with yellow stripes, in the third deeper green, with three
longitudinal lemon-yellow lines on each side, and finally of a rich green
with a {54}brown dorsal line; the sides with two deep yellow ones; the
anterior and first segment of the body yellow, the latter spotted with
black; the horn, which was previously straight, becomes curved and black.
It feeds on various species of pine, as Pinus abies, sylvestris, Strobus,
&c. The chrysalis is dark brown, changing to maroon; the tongue-sheath is
short.