718 CLA.SS IV. INSECTA. 



Fam. 36. Endromidae. Imago strong and large, flying by day in 

 birch-woods. The caterpillar is said to bend back the anterior segments 

 over the posterior somewhat as does a saw-fly larva. Endromisis endemic 

 in Great Britain ; E. versicolor the " Kentish glory " constitutes the 

 family. 



Fam. 37. Pterothysanidae. The posterior border of the hind-wing 

 bears long hairs. No frenulum. A black and white Indian genus Ptero- 

 thysanus constitutes the family. 



Fam. 38. Lymantriidae.* Antennae bipectinate in males only. 

 Frenulum very rarely absent. Sub-costal nervure diverges about the 

 middle of the cell and connects with the first radial. First maxillae 

 reduced. Smallish insects of silver white or sombre coloration known as 

 Tussock-moths. Larvae with highly coloured tufts of hair. The cocoon, 

 and even the pupae are often hairy. The female imago is often wingless, 

 or its wings are small and it does not fly. The tip of the abdomen often 

 bears a thick tuft of hairs. Psilura monacha, the " Noiine " of the 

 Germans, is terribly destructive to forest trees in Central Europe, especially 

 to conifers, on which the larvae feed. Porthetria dispar is the " Gipsy 

 Moth," the introduction of which into Massachusetts has been a source 

 of great trouble and expense to the government of the United States. 

 The family is large, with nearly two hundred genera and eight hundred 

 species, and is very widely distributed. Porthesia (Liparis), Leucoma, 

 Laelia, Ocneria, Psilura, Dasychira and Orgyta are British genera. 



Fam. 39. Hypsidae. The nervures resemble those of the preceding 

 family ; but the first maxillae are well developed and the labial palps are 

 long and turned up. Yellow and grey moths from the warmer regions 

 of the Eastern hemisphere. 



Fam. 40. Arctiidae. The sub-costal nervure coalesces with the radial 

 and so seems to emerge from the middle of the cell. Frenulum present. 

 The Tiger- and Ermine-moths form an enormous family with five hundred 

 genera and three thousand species, cosmopolitan in distribution. The 

 larvae are often hairy, and the imagos usually brightly coloured and 

 showing a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Some of them are remark- 

 able amongst moths for the sounds they produce. Nycteola (Sarrothripus), 

 Earias, Halias (Hylophila), Nola, Nudaria, Setina, Calligenia, Lithosia, 

 etc., are British. 



Fam. 41. Agaristidae. Antennae usually clubbed and hooked. The 

 wing ner wires of the Noctuid type (see below). A varied collection of 

 "usually diurnal, sometimes crepuscular, moths with bright wings ; absent 

 from Europe, but numerous throughout the warmer regions of Africa, 

 Australia, Asia and North America. 



Fam. 42. Geometridae. Delicate moths with large wings. The 

 second median nervure of the fore-wing is usually closer to the first than 

 to the third. The sub-costal nervure of the hind-wing diverges beyond 

 the cell, with which it may fuse. Tarsi long, not hairy. The 

 " Carpets or Pugs " form a very large family, with very characteristic 

 larvae known as " Loopers " or Geometers. In repose the larvae hold on 

 1 iy the two posterior pairs of pro-legs ; all the anterior parts of the body 

 frequently projecting rigid and twig-like, supported by a thread extending 

 from the mouth to some point near at hand. The male usually has re- 

 markable antennae. Some species have wingless females or females with 



* Often termed Liparidae. 



