This approaches so near to the Sphinx Alope of Drury, that it is not without hesitation I have ventured to separate them; it will, however, be seen, that neither in his figure or description is any notice taken of the pale testaceous band on the superior wings; the body likewise is described as "encircled with rings of brown and dark ash colour;" in this, the rings are black, on nearly a white ground: the under sides of the superior wings, in Drury's insect, "are spotted along their external edges with long yellowish spots;" in this, they are uniform pale brown. These differences (greatly strengthened by his figure) induce me to consider them as distinct; particularly as both insects appear to have come from Jamaica: the upper side of the antennæ are white, the lower brown. Cramer's figure of S. Alope affords little or no clue to illustrate the question.
SPHINX fasciata.
Generic Character.—See Pl. 81.
Specific Character.
- S. alis anticis subdentatis, suprà fuscis, margine postico strigâ pallidâ ornato; posticis fulvis, margine nigro; abdomine annuloso, annulis nigris, interruptis, interstitiis albis.
- Anterior wings subdentated, above brown, posterior margin with a pale stripe; posterior wings fulvous, margin black; body with black interrupted rings, the interstices white.
SPHINX Leachii.
- S. alis anticis subdentatis, griseo-fuscis, maculis mediis 3 nigris; posticis fulvis, margine nigro; abdomine griseo, annulis nigris, interruptis.
- Anterior wings subdentated, greyish brown, with three medial black spots; posterior fulvous, margin black; abdomen grey, with interrupted black rings.
I cannot reconcile this with any one species described by Fabricius; at the anal angle of the lower wings, is a pale greyish spot, with two short blackish lines: I have named it in honour of that laborious and eminent zoologist, Dr. Leach; who presented me with the specimen here figured.
The upper figure is of Sphinx Leachii, and the under of S. fasciata.