Zoological Illustrations/VolIII-Pl150
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.
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 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.