"Head with dense appressed hairs. Ocelli absent. Eyes glabrous. Antennæ thickened towards middle or posteriorly, in male ciliated with partial whorls. Labial palpi moderate, ascending, with dense projecting scales. Thorax densely hairy beneath. Femora densely hairy. Fore-wings with vein 1b furcate, 6 out of 8, 9 absent (rarely present in exceptional individuals). Hind-wings with veins 3 and 4 approximated at base, 5 from middle of transverse vein, parallel to 4, 6 and 7 connate or stalked, 8 connected by oblique bar with margin of cell before middle, more or less approximated to 7 near beyond cell." (Plate [I]., figs. 12 and 13, neuration of Deilephila [after Meyrick].)
"This family is generally distributed, but is most plentiful in the tropics. The imagos are usually large insects, with stout, heavy bodies, elongate-triangular fore-wings with very oblique termen, and relatively small hind-wings; the wing muscles are very strong, and the flight exceptionally powerful. Ovum spheroidal, smooth. Larva stout, usually with an oblique, projecting anal horn, anterior segments sometimes retractile or raised in repose. Pupa subterranean."—(Meyrick.)
Only one genus is represented in New Zealand, viz., Sphinx.
Genus 1.—SPHINX.
"Tongue strongly developed. Antennæ less than one-half, gradually thickened to apex, then pointed, apex slender, hooked. Thorax with low double posterior tuft. Abdomen smooth, broad, conical, pointed. Tibiæ with appressed scales.
"A moderately large genus, ranging over the whole world, but principally characteristic of America. Imago flying at dusk, feeding on the wing."—(Meyrick.)
This genus is represented in New Zealand by one almost cosmopolitan species.
SPHINX CONVOLVULI, L.
(Protoparce distans, Butl. Sphinx convolvuli, Meyr., Trans. N. Z. Inst. xxii. 213.)
(Plate [XIII]., fig. 1.; Plate [III]., figs. 13 and 14 varieties of larvæ.)