. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. ind liroad wings ; tlie antennie are stout, and gradually in a slender hook. Tiie South American species of Vnstnht are lar six inches across the wings, and in many cases the fore wings are dark, and the liind wings handed with white, and spotted towards the l)orders with red. But they vary considerably, both in form ajid colour. Some few species of tlie family ai-e transparent; and in the Australian genus Si/newon the antennie are clubbed, and the Moths, which expand about an inch and a half across the wings, might easily be m
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. ind liroad wings ; tlie antennie are stout, and gradually in a slender hook. Tiie South American species of Vnstnht are lar six inches across the wings, and in many cases the fore wings are dark, and the liind wings handed with white, and spotted towards the l)orders with red. But they vary considerably, both in form ajid colour. Some few species of tlie family ai-e transparent; and in the Australian genus Si/newon the antennie are clubbed, and the Moths, which expand about an inch and a half across the wings, might easily be mistaken for Hesperiidte. We now come to the great family of Sphviigida', or Hawk Moths, which may be known by their large head, prominent eyes, stout antennas, more or less thickened in the middle, and often serrated, but not pectinated, ""^ m,!th" "^^^'' ill the males, and their long, narrow, pointetl wings. The caterpillars are smooth, often green, with transverse stripes on the sides, and there is nearly always a horn on the back of the last segment but one. They change to pupas either on the surface of the ground or in a cell under ground, which they form for the purpose. Every one is familiar with the Humming Bird Hawk Moth (Macrocflossa stellatarum), which may often be seen buzzing over the flowers in our gardens, and rifling them of their sweets by means of its long proboscis, without ever resting. It is not uncommonly mistaken for a real Humming Bird, and some of the allied South American species 1 / actually resemble Humming Birds so closely in flight that they cannot be distinguished from them on the wing ; and during his travels on the Amazons Mr. Bates often shot one of these Moths by mistake for a Humming Bird. Our common species has !)rown fore wings, and reddish tawny hind wings, and the aljdomen is tufted at the extremity. Rlost of the foreign species are very similarly coloured. The Bee Hawk Moths (Sesia/wci/orniis and bombyh- fm-mis) are of
Size: 2276px × 1098px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectanimals
