no. i. BOMBYCUSTE MOTHS OF NORTH AMERICA— PACKARD. 99 



Dr. Dyar states that this is the ordinary North Atlantic form. The name fusca is 

 preoccupied in Automeris {fusca Walker, 1855), and the race described by Luther may take 

 the name A. io lutheri.] 



[Some individual aberrations of A. io have been described by H. PI. Newcomb.] 

 [At Boulder, Colo., A. io presents what may perhaps be considered a local race (coloradensis 

 nov.). The females are similar to var. fusca Luther in general appearance and markings, but 

 the anterior wings are usually a deep vinaceous with a strong purple suffusion; the pale 

 markings are only moderately developed, and have a greenish appearance (actually due to a 

 mixture of pale yellow and grayish-white hair-Like scales) . The broad submarghial band agrees 

 with fusca; in typical A. io (PI. LX, fig. 4) this region is more or less pallid and the evident 

 band incloses the faint post-median line of pale scallops. (See also Holland, The Moth Book, 

 PI. IX, fig. 5.) One example, however, is a lighter, more cinnamon red, and approaches 

 Holland's figure quite closely. 1 



The Boulder males do not present any marked characters, except that the anal region of 

 the primaries is generally strongly washed with vinous. The discal patch on primaries is 

 strongly marked. This male is like fusca in markings, rather than typical io. 

 In Nebraska A. io is rare, and Prof. M. H. Swenk reports (litt. July, 1912): 

 "Our collections contain only three specimens, all females, taken as follows: Lincoln, 

 May 29, 1894; Jamaica, April 18, 1903, and Halsey, May 29, 1912. The latter locality is in 

 the middle of the State in the sand-hill region. All three of these specimens look enough like 

 the colored figure of this insect in Holland's 'Moth Book' to be the original of it." 



The Nebraska form is evidently like that occurring eastward, and not coloradensis.] 

 [Geographical distribution. — From the Atlantic coast west to Colorado and New Mexico. 

 The following localities are represented by the records of A. io preserved at the United States 

 Department of Agriculture : Maine (Bowdoinham) ; Connecticut (New Haven) ; Massachusetts 

 (Norwood, West Medford) ; New York (Mdlers Place, Alton) ; New Jersey (Garfield) ; Penn- 

 sylvania (Honesdale, Dreshartown, McCrays) ; Vermont (Burlington) ; District of Columbia 

 (Washington) ; Virginia (Falls Church, Linville) ; Maryland (Elk Ridge, Cumniing Freedom) ; 

 North Carolina (Wilkesboro, Raleigh, Asheville) ; Florida (St. Petersburg) ; Georgia (Smithville, 

 Grayton, Macon) ; Tennessee (Northville) ; Alabama (Citronelle) ; Louisiana (Brodnax) ; 

 Arkansas (Helena) ; Texas (Hockley) ; Oklahoma (Eakly) ; Kansas (Oswego) ; Missouri (Cadet) ; 

 Ohio (Rogers) ; Iowa (Libson) ; Minnesota (Hastings) . Mr. T. Pergande notes that larvse 

 feeding on cotton were received from P. Richert, Franklin, Tex., and from E. W. Thompson, 

 Smithville, Ga. Years later larva? of A. io were received from B. II. Brodnax, Brodnax, La., 

 with the statement that they were present in thousands on his cotton, stripping many plants 

 of their leaves. (MS. note by Coquillett.) In 1888 a larva was found feeding on saw palmetto 

 by R. Ranson, Sea View, Fla. It was sent to Washington, where it was fed on rose, and 

 produced a moth (note by Pergande).] 



Life history. 



The gregarious caterpillars of this moth were observed on the aspen at Brunswick, Me., 

 July 27; the young larvse, apparently just hatched, occurred July 16, forming a group on an 

 aspen leaf. 



Young larva after hatching. — Stout, thick bodied; the body is uniformly pale reddish 

 brown, while the large branching spines are brown and black. Length, 5 to 6 mm. 



Young larva 15 mm. in length. — Body moderately thick, or the usual shape of the genus. 

 Body pale reddish horn-colored, with six longitudinal paler lines; four rows of dorsal and 

 subdorsal black spinulated spines; and also a similar lateral row (or six rows in all). Head 

 blackish-brown . 



[' A full-fed larva of coloradensis, collected at Boulder by Miss B. Moore, Sept. 1, 1912, presented the following characters: Dorsum very pale 

 greenish turquoise, deepening to a light emerald green above the lateral band; lateral band with its upper part (enclosing spiracles) rather dull blood 

 red or brick red, enclosing small inconspicuous white spots, its lower part pure white, edged below, at beginning and end of each segment, with 

 red. Head very pale green, region of mouth ochreous, mandibles dark apically. Spines light yellowish green (apple-green), black-tipped, the 

 black not clearly evident without a lens. Thoracic legs largely red; abdominal legs apple-green, the shining plates above the feet pale red with light 

 tubercles from which arise many (one from each) pale bristles; feet red. J 



