THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 263 



NOTES UPON THE NORTH AMERICAN SATURNINA, 

 WITH LIST OK THE SPECIES. 



BY A. RADCLIFFE GROTE, A. M. , HILDESHEIM, GERMANY. 



Of the three families oi Satur?iina found in North America, only the 

 Sattirnidce occurs in the European fauna. Conversely no analogue of the 

 European Aglia tau * has been found in America. In a very interesting 

 paper, Ann. Mag. N. Hist., Vol. XL, 1893, Dr. Packard says of this 

 species : " Aglia appears to be a Ceratocampid in its earlier larval stages, 

 the caterpillar in its final stage, however, and the moth being closely 

 related to the Saturnians." This being so, it is clear that Aglia cannot 

 be classed as a subfamily of Cithero?iidce, from which the habit and 

 structure of the moth and the mode of pupation seem to exclude it. 

 Aglia seems, in fact, a comprehensive type, showing characters of the 

 other three families of Satiiniiiia. The head and antennae are compared 

 by Dr. Packard to those of Aiitomeris io. Aglia resembles Telea some- 

 what in maculation and colour, and the wings in repose are held as in 

 this genus and Callosamia. In fact, the $ moth reminds one in many 

 respects of C. promethea : the slender body, the ovate outline of the 

 antennje and especially their position, together with the ready diurnal 

 tlight. All these characters are opposed to the Citheronidce. The ? 

 Aglia tau has remained in a more generalized condition. The group 

 may be considered as higher than the Hemileticidce, with which it is allied 

 in venation, and probably as entitled to family rank, as suggested by Dyar. 

 "VVe have shown, in 1866, that there is a general difference in antennal 

 structure between the three families, Saturnidcs, Honileiccidce and 

 Citheronidce, and this notice has probably served as the basis for 

 subsequent attempts to classify the Satur7iina upon antennal structure. 

 In the same paper, Ann. N. Y. Lye. N. Hist., VIIL, p. 378, we draw 

 attention to the difference in pupation. The Saturjiidce weave large and 

 dense cocoons attached to objects free from and elevated above the surface 

 of the earth ; the Hetnileucidce spin cocoons of slighter texture on or near 

 the ground and granules of earthy matter are mixed with the web 

 ( Automeris ), or in a surface cell among debris with no or little silk 

 ( Hemileuca); the Citheronidce enter the ground to form a cell beneath 

 the surface, in which the naked pupa reposes, showing an analogy of 



* This moth is very common in beech woods in this neighbourhood, Hildesheim, 

 and ahuost everywhere in Central Europe. I should not wonder if it were in time 

 imported by dealers, and then reported as indigenous to America, as I believe has been 

 done with Xyloims piuasiri. 



