LEPIDOPTERA. Section-—Crepusculraia. Latreille)
<p>FIGURE 1.
DEILEPHILA CYRENE. Westw.
Deilephila alis anticis olivaeco-albidis, nubila media obscuriori punctoque minuto ordinario, strigaque fusca uiedii)
marginis interni ad apicum ; posticis nigro-fuscis, angulo anali late albido ; capitis et thoracis lateribus albu-lineatis
maculisque duabus nigris ad basin abdominis.
Deilephila with the fore wings of an olivo buff, darker along the costa, and with a dusky cloud in the middle, close to
which is a very minute dark dot, a dark patch at the base of the inner margin, and a nearly straight dark streak from
rather beyond the middle of the inner margin to the tip of the wing (preceded by two or three very indistinct
dusky streaks,) and followed by a dark olive-brown space ; the hind wings are black-brown, with the anal angle
broadly buff with a slight rosy tinge ; body olive-brown, with a white stripe at the sides of the head and thorax, and
with two black spots at the base of the abdomen.
Expansion of the fore wings 3 and 3/4 inches.
Inhabits Central India and Ceylon. In the Collections of Col. Hearsey :and Dr. Templeton.
Description.—The antennae, as well as the under-side of the head and breast, are pale with a whitish buff,
with a slight rosy tinge, which also appears ou the pale sides of the head. The abdomen is very loug
aud pointed at the tip ; the sides behind the black spots paler than the back. The legs are pale butt',
and the costa of the fore wings is edged with fulvous.
The species is very closely allied to D. Noma, but differs in the oblique streaks of the fore wings and
the extent of the pale anal spot of the hind ones.
FIGURE 2.
SMERINTHUS ? PANOPUS, (Cramer, iii. p. 50. PI. 224, Fig. AH.)
.Smerinthus (!) alis anticis roseo-fulvis, fascia composita fusca versus basin altcraque angulata media, postice
obliteratis ; fascia recta obliqua pone medium maculaque subocellari ad angulura ani nigra ; alis posticis in medio
roseis lineis duabus undatis fuscis pone medium fimbriaque obscuiis.
Smerinthus '. with the fore wings fulvous, with a rosy tinge ; ha^Tng neai- the b-ise an oblique dark-brown fascia
(composed of two narrow and one broader stripe) ; another similarly composed but much angulated near the middle
of the wing (both being obliterated behind) ; a straight oblique dark brown fascia beyonil the middle of the wing,
terminated in a large black, somewhat oeellated spot at the anal angle ; hind wings rosy in the middle, with two
naiTow festooned dark lines beyond the middle, and a broad dark border. ,
Expansion of the fore wings nearly fi inches.
Inluibits .\ssam and Sylhet. In my own and the British Museum Collections.
Descriptiox.—This fine species has the head and thorax dark-brown, the l)asal portion of the
abdomen pale-grey, and the terminal segments fulvouSj each with a dark-brown patch. The autenuie
are slender and ciu'ved at the tips, the extremity of the fore wings is obliquely truncate, behind which
the apical margin is nearly straight. The oblique fascia of the fore wings is followed by an oKve-brown
sj)ace, of which colour there is also a large angulated patch on the apical margin ; the spiu's of the hind
legs are remarkably long.
I am indebted to Major Jenkins for my specimen of this species, which difters materially from the
typical Smerinthi ; but as Dr. Boisduval is at present engaged upon a revision of the Sphingida;, I
have abstained from forming it into a new genus. Stoll's specimen was from the North Coast of Java.
FIGURE 3.
SPHINX ORNEU.S. Westw.
Sphinx alis anticis cinereo-fuscis, striga prope basin, fascia lata media brunneo-fulva sti'igaque arcuata pone
medium ; margine interno cinereo maculis 5 nigris, alis posticis roseis, angido anali cinereo strigis parvis nigris.
Sphinx with the fore wings fawn-coloured or ashy fulvous, a slender red-brown transverse curved streak neai' the
base, followed by a very broad red-browu fascia across the middle of the wing, inclosing a dark-brown dot ; and
beyond this is a waved dark streak across the wing (bearing black dots on the veins) the internal margm ashy, with
S black spots ; hind wings rosy, with the anal angle ashy and bearing several short black dashes.
Expansion of the fore wmgs 2-2-^ inches.
Inhabits Central India. In the Collection of Col. Hearsey.
Description.—The antennse iii the male are rather long, and veiypale buff-coloured; the head and
thorax axe red-brown ; the abdomen paler ; the anterior tibice are terminated by a strong curved horny
spine. All the wings on the under side are rosy-fulvous ; the fore ones with one, and the hind ones with
three, red-brown streaks crossing them.
FIGURE 4.
MACROGLOSSA TRIOPUS. Westw.
JIacroglossa alis anticis fuscis, fasciis 5 fimbriaque apicaU nigris maculaque media subqnadrata vitrea ; alis
posticis nigris macula costali .alba marglneque anali roseo ; abdomme nigi-o, fascia (in medio interrupta) Isete rosea.
Macroglossa with the fore wings greyish brown, with five black transverse fasciae and a dusky apical margin ; in
the middle, towards the costa, is a vitreous, nearly square spot ; the hind wings are black with a broad white costal
patch, and a rosy anal margin ; the abdomen black, with a splendid rose-coloured fascia, interrupted in the middle.
Expansion of the fore wings 3 inches.
Inhabits Assam. In my Collection.
Description.—The antenna: are short, slender, and elbowed at the tip; the body is very robust; the
head and thorax brown ; the latter appears to have foiu- longitudinal ill-defined white streaks. The
sides of the terminal segments of the abdomen have tufts of fulvous scales. The body beneath is rosy,
with black articulations ; and the hind wings are also of a rich rosy colour, with two narrow transverse
fasciae of black.
Observations.—I have hitherto seen but one specimen of this very singular species, communicated
by Major Jenkins, from Assam. The contrasted colom-s and the two talc-like patches on the wings must
render this species a very elegant object during flight and havering over a flower, as is the habit of the
species of the genus to which it belongs.
FIGURE 5.
TROCHILIUM ASHTAROTII. Westw.
Trochilium alis anticis opacis cupreo viridique nitidissimis, posticis purpureo-nigris ; corpore metallico splendore
iuduto ; pedibus posticis squaraosis latissimis.
Trochilium with the fore wings entirely clothed with very splendid coppery and green scales, the hiad wings with a
rich purple black gloss, the body (except the colour, which is green) is of the most glossy metallic hues, and the hind
legs are clothed with very long and broad black scales, some of which are tipped with white.
Expansion of the fore wings, 1 1 inch.
Inhabits Assam. In my own and the British Museum Collections.
Description.—The antennae are very slender, except towards the tip, where they are dilated into a
thick club pointed at the tip. The palpi are slender, conical, and porrected. The front of the thorax
(except the collar) is of the most intense fiery copper. The extremity of the body does not appear to
have been furnished with a fan-like tail, as in the smaller species of the family Trochiliidse.
Observations.—This species, from the extraordinary metallic brilliancy of its colours, must be
considered as one of the most remarkable of the insects of the family Trochilidae, to which it belongs.
Indeed it is impossible, on inspecting it, not to caU to mind the humming-birds, of which this is perhaps
one of the best analogies ; we have here, in fact, not only the metallic colours but the tufted legs which
renders some of the humming-birds such remarkable objects. I am indebted to Major Jenkins for
this brilliant insect.
</p>
The plant represented is the Chirita zeylanica.
J O Westwood
2011-06-27
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