358 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



A CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION OF SPILOSOMA 



CONGRUA. 



BY R. OTTOLENGUI, NEW YORK. 



I have found the discussion of the identity of Spilosoma congrua, 

 originating with the article by Rev. Dr. Fyles, most interesting, and am 

 tempted to record certain facts not in consonance with the published views 

 of the gentlemen who have already written. 



Dr. Fyles appears to argue that cunea may be congrua. He tells 

 us, speaking of textor, that there is one brood in his locality usually spot- 

 less and measuring 14 lines, and then states that "southward there is a 

 second brood of textor noted for its variations, this being supposed to be 

 the cunea of Dairy." He then refers to Prof Riley's figures of cimea 

 (Forest Insects, page 245), and declares that with his series of bred 

 specimens of congrua he can match all of Prof Riley's figures in 

 maculation, and especially in size. 



In Prof. Smith's reply to Dr. Fyles I find this statement: "Nearly 

 all the northern specimens (cunea) run small ; the southern specimens, on 

 the other hand, mostly run large." 



Early in the spring of this year it will be recalled that a "cold snap" 

 overspread the entire Atlantic coast. This cold was especially exceptional 

 in the Southern States, and the approaching summer was so delayed that 

 vegetation budded but two weeks earlier in South Carolina than in New 

 York City. I spent the latter half of March in Summerville, South Caro- 

 lina, and when I left the young leaves were just giving the forest a delicate 

 green tint. Two weeks later the parks in this city were in about the 

 same condition. I mention this to indicate the closeness of the seasons 

 south and north this year to make my deductions more pointed. One of the 

 first moths to appear in the vicinity of New York is what we call cunea, 

 and they can be commonly expected early in April. This early brood is 

 almost invariably spotless, or practically so. During my stay in Summer- 

 ville, the nights being very cool, and even the days far from warm, insect 

 life was not very abundantly noticeable. The only moth really common 

 was cunea, of which I took about twenty specimens and saw above a hun- 

 dred others. While I did not capture all that I saw, I particularly 

 examined them, this being easy, as they were sitting at rest along 

 the piazzas and hallways. This examination was made because I noted 

 that these early moths were all profusely spotted, all without exception 



