Jan., '09] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 15 



C. ultronia and its several varieties are not uncommon at 

 Vinton, while vidua, epione and paleogama are rare. Habilis 

 is the only hickory feeder that is at all plentiful. Of course, 

 cara is abundant. We are not attempting to mention all the 

 species of Catocala that fly at Vinton, only the forms that 

 came under our observation this year. The fauna is likely a 

 full one. 



The senior author of this article has been puzzled for two or 

 three years over the variation in the larvae of C. piatri.v, un- 

 able to bring to maturity the most striking forms and finding 

 no variation in the imagoes, while we are able to demonstrate, 

 in the case of parta, that the variation in the caterpillars does 

 give variation in the moths. The normal larva has alternate 

 longitudinal bands of lighter and darker color, while the most 

 striking variation has a brownish-gray color, without any 

 stripes except a narrow black dorsal band. The imago from 

 this abnormal larva is distinct enough to be a variety and, 

 probably is. We wonder if the variation in relicta and aina- 

 trix is noticeable in the larvae ! We hope to have a chance to 

 find out. 



After the moth season had closed, the Junior Author carried 

 the study of Catocalae to the food plants of the various species 

 of the genus and busied herself with searches for ova, and she 

 has been abundantly rewarded. Eggs of cara, amatrix and 

 parta have been found under and between bits of bark from 

 the height of four feet above the base to the very tops of the 

 willow trees. Eggs of ultronia and, perhaps, grynea under 

 the bark of plum, and after much searching, the ova of relicta 

 on the outside of Aspen bark, with no protection against 

 weather or foes unless they are color protected. 



We were also very successful in securing eggs of the follow- 

 ing species from two males confined in small tin boxes : cara, 

 amatrix, cerogama, relicta, amatrix var. nnrus, relicta var. 

 clara. 



Neogama is among the walnut feeders at Yinton, and, doubt- 

 doubtless, as delicate a larva as piatrix. 



Our notes on the resting places and habits of the imagoes 



