266 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



eggs are laid in a cluster on a leaf ; the larvae are con- 

 spicuous in August and September. In some of the species 

 the larvae have the curious habit of leaving the branch upon 

 which they are feeding when the time to molt arrives, the 

 whole colony gathering in a large mass on the trunk of the 

 tree, where the molt takes place. The pupa state is passed 

 in the ground, in a very light cocoon or in none at all, and 

 lasts about nine months in the species that we have bred. 



The White-tipped Moth, Edema albifrons (E-de'ma 

 al'bi-frons). This beautiful moth, which is quite common, 

 can be easily recognized by the accompanying figure (Fig. 



314); the white patch, which 

 extends along the costa of the 

 fore wing for half the length 

 from the tip, being very char- 

 acteristic. The larva (Fig. 3 1 5) 

 is quite common in the autumn 

 FIG. 314. Edema, albifrons. on leaves of oak. It is smooth 

 and shining, with no hairs; along each side of the back 

 there is a yellow stripe, and between these, on the back, 

 fine black lines on a pale lilac ground ; on each side below the 

 yellow stripe there are three black lines, the lowest one just 

 above the spiracles. The head is orange-red ; and there is 

 an orange-red hump on the eighth abdominal segment. 



FIG. y.'-,. Edema albifrons, larva. 



The Two-lined Prominent, Seirodonta bilineata (Seir-o- 

 don'ta bi-lin-e-a'ta). The larva of this species (Fig. 316) is 

 much more apt to be observed than the adult. It is com- 

 mon in the latter part of the summer and in early autumn, 



