Plate XXVIII. fig. 1.
ORDER: Lepidoptera. SECTION: Crepuscularia. FAMILY: Sphingidæ, _Leach_.
GENUS. SPHINX, Auct.
SPHINX VITIS. Alis anticis olivaceo-fuscis, fasciâ, vittâ lineisque
pallidis; posticis cinereis fasciâ nigrâ margineque roseo. (Expans. Alar.
4 unc.)
SYN. Sphinx Vitis, _Linn. Syst. Nat._ 2. 801. _No._ 16. _Merian Surin.
tab._ 47. _f._ 1. _Cram. Ins. tab._ 267. _fig._ C. _Fabr. Ent. Syst._
III. 1. 369. _No._ 41. _Gmel. Linn. S. N._ 2380. 16. _Abbot and Smith,
Ins. Georgia,_ 1, _t._ 40.
HABITAT: Antigua, Jamaica, St. Christopher's (_Drury_). "In vitæ
Americes" (_Linn._). "Magnolia glauca" (_Fabr._). "Jussiæa erecta"
(_Abbot and Smith_).
_Upper Side._ Head and thorax dark flesh-coloured; on the latter, near
the neck, is a long spot of olive brown, with another on each side.
Abdomen dark flesh-coloured, having two olive brown streaks above,
extending from the base to the extremity, being intersected by narrow
flesh-coloured annuli or {55}rings. The ground of the anterior wings is a
fine olive brown; a flesh-coloured bar begins at the tips, and running
parallel with the anterior margin at the middle of the wing, divides into
two branches, one continues to the shoulder margin, the other terminates
at the middle of the posterior margin; on the upper part of the bar is
placed a small flesh-coloured mark, discoidal, the middle being black;
near the tips arises also from the upper side a second smaller branch,
which runs to the anterior edge, which, with the external margin, has a
narrow border of a rusty clay colour. Posterior wings with their external
edges bordered with red; above which is a black bar, extending from the
anterior edge to the anal angle, where it is much fainter; the inner
margin also red, with a large black patch thereon. The upper parts of the
wings are of a blueish ash colour. Nerves pale.
_Under Side._ Breast, thighs, and abdomen dark flesh-coloured. The
colours of all the wings on this side are faint, being principally of a
clay colour; the inferior ones, next the abdominal edges, being tinged
with red.
The caterpillar of this beautiful Sphinx is remarkable for having only a
slight protuberance at the extremity of the body in place of the erect
spine or tail, which is possessed by the majority of the caterpillars of
the Sphingidæ. It is of a pale yellowish colour, with numerous slender
transverse black lines, and white oblique lateral marks _directed towards
the head_. Its food is very various. One, observed by Abbot, went into the
ground on the 14th of August, and came out on the 7th of September; whilst
another which went in on the 29th of September, did not come out until the
18th of July following. The moth is rare; but may occasionally be seen
sucking the gourd blossoms in the evening. The chrysalis has a pointed
tail, but is destitute of a porrected tongue-case.