298 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



Closely allied to the moths just described is another group 



of species with broad wings, of 

 which the Two-lined Parallelia, 

 Parallelia bistriaris (Par-al-lel'i-a 

 bi-stri'a-ris) is a good example. 

 This moth (Fig. 355) is brown- 

 ish in color, and has the fore 



FIG. 355 -raraiuiia bistriaris. w j n g s crO ssed by two parallel 



lines. The larva feeds on the leaves of maple. 



The most striking in appearance of the Noctuids, if we 

 except the Black Witch and one or two allied species, are 

 the moths belonging to the genus Catocala (Ca-toc'a-la). 

 These moths are of large size, often expanding three inches 

 or more. The fore wings are usually brown or gray, marked 

 with wavy or zigzag lines. The ground-color of the hind 

 wings is black ; but in many species these wings are con- 

 spicuously banded with red, yellow, or white. This pecu- 

 liarity has suggested the name Underwings by which these 



FIG. 356. Catocala ilia. 



insects are commonly known in England. The genus is a 

 very large one ; about eighty species are now known from 

 this country; and many of these are extremely variable, 

 so that about twice that number of named forms are now 

 recognized. The Ilia Underwing, Catocala ilia (C. il'i-a), 

 will serve as an example (Fig. 356). The larvae of the 



