S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 46/2. (Budapest, 1985)

Summarizing the characters it can be seen that the males and females of decipulae are similar, with a lot of common features in coloration and wing pattern. The differences between sphinx and decipulae are identical in both sexes. The females are usually darker than the males, the shape of wings more elongate and narrower. The structure of female genitalia The female genitalia of the two species are very similar to each other. Ovipositor relatively long and wide, ostium bursae rounded. Ductus bursae short and narrow, well sclerotized, bursa copulatrix small, elongate. The difference between decipulae (Fig. 4.) and sphinx (Fig. 5) is not strong but well discernible; ductus bursae of decipulae narrower with a chitinized plate at the entrance of bursa copulatrix. The collecting place at Dörgicse is a southern dolomite slope covered by shrubby forests and opened oak forest patches and with short, dried swards. The imagos of decipulae came to the light earlier (males; 20.30 - 1.30; females; 21.30 - 23.30) than those of sphinx (males; 21.30 - 3.00) females; 23.00 - 3.00). All the specimens of decipulae were collected only when the temperature was higher than 5° C, while specimens of sphinx were also found in cold weather, even when the temperature was near 0° C. The flying of the imagos of sphinx seemed to be stronger and straight er, they came to the light usually from the tree level, while the specimens of decipulae appeared near to the surface. In summary, some characteristic differences were found between the females of syriaca de cipulae and sphinx, not only in their external morphology. With the discovery of this relatively rich population I think we found not only a new locality of this interesting species but we have also good possibilities to find its unknown larva and foodplant(s), although the first attempt in getting eggs was unsuccessful because the two collected females were virgin. REFERENCES KOVÁCS, L. (1966): Data to the knowledge of Hungarian Macrolepidoptera, I. - Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn hung., 58: 453-468. WARREN, W. (1910): Die eulenartigen Nachtfalter. - In: Seitz: Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde, III., Stuttgart. Author's address: L. SZÉCSÉNYI Fortuna u. 9. H-1014 Budapest Hungary