THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



215 



of each abdominal segment, and with numerous small orange- 

 colored tubercles with metallic reflections. The cocoon is oval, 



usually wrapped in a leaf, 

 and is attached to the 

 twigs of trees and shrubs. 

 The luna moth (Actia 

 lima] is a brilliant green 

 species with long tails pro- 

 jecting from the hind- 

 wings ; it is frequently 

 attracted to lights on warm 

 evenings of early summer. 

 Each wing bears a small 

 eyespot, and the anterior 

 margin of the fore-wings 

 is purplish. The larvae 

 feed on the leaves of wal- 

 nut, hickory, and forest 

 trees. Possibly our most 

 common species is the 

 cecropia moth (Samia 

 cecropia) whose long 

 brown cocoons are fre- 

 quently found on fruit and 

 shade trees. The moths 

 are a dusky, reddish brown, 

 and may be readily recog- 

 nized from Fig. 34 1 . The 

 caterpillar is three or four 

 inches long, of a bright 

 green color, with six prom- 

 inent tubercles on the 

 thoracic segments, - - the 

 first four coral-red and 

 the hinder two yellow, - 

 and with smaller, similar yellow tubercles on the back of the abdom- 

 inal segments. They feed commonly on fruit and shade trees, but 

 are never numerous enough to do much damage. The cocoons of a 



FIG. 341. The cecropia moth (Samia cecropia}, 

 larva, cocoon, and moth at rest. (All reduced) 



(Photograph by Weed) 



