THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 209 



to geographical distribution and origin of the different forms, in which I 

 am much interested, we may arrange the butterflies as here suggested. 

 But whether we assume eight " families " of the true butterflies, or only 

 four, or only one, the sequence and the principle remain unaltered. 

 The characters by which modern " families " are defined, chiefly by 

 German authors und solche die es werdeii wollen, are of unequal morpho- 

 logical value, therefore unnatural and, it seems to me, unphilosophical. 



NOTE ON THE LARVA OF THYATIRA PUDENS, Guen. 



BY HARRISON G. DYAR, RHINEBECK, N. Y. 



As far as I am aware no description of the larva of this insect has 

 been published, and hence I present the following : — 



T. pudens. — Mature larva. Head white, with four black spots, two 

 covering the eyes and the others near the summit of the head. A few 

 short, whitish hairs. Body semitransparent, whitish, flecked with opaque 

 white spots on the dorsum and more thinly on the venter. Stigmatal 

 space covered by a blackish shading, more distinct anteriorly ; a darker 

 dorsal line. Spiracles pale brown. Cervical spot whitish, concolorous 

 with body. A few short pale hairs. 



The larvae feed singly on dogwood ( Cornus florida), each forming a 

 place of concealment by spinning one or more leaves together by the edges. 

 They mature by the middle of June and pupate in a slight cocoon on the 

 ground, the winter being passed in the pupa state. The pupa has its 

 greatest diameter through the wing cases, the abdominal segments taper- 

 ing. It is dark brown, approaching black, the brown color showing more 

 distinctly between the segments. Body punctured. Thorax, wing and 

 leg cases finely wrinkled. Cremaster, thick, i mm. long, furnished with 

 stiff, spiny hooks. 



This larva well deserves its name of pudens, on account of its modest 

 habits, remaining concealed in its leafy house, and appearing much dis- 

 turbed if exposed. Its actions recall those of the larva of Endamus 

 tityrus. 



The insect has only one brood annually. 



Larvge from Duchess County, N. Y. 



