Ceratocampidae 
most common in Colorado and Wyoming, in which the wings 
are greatly suffused with black. To this form Walker’s name 
pica properly applies. 
FAMILY CERATOCAMPID/E 
“ In Nature’s infinite book of secrecy 
A little I can read.”—S hakespeare. 
This family contains moths of large or medium size, the 
larvae of which do not produce cocoons, but undergo transforma¬ 
tion in the ground. The larvae are generally more or less orna¬ 
mented with spines and bristly protuberances. The moths have 
the tongue developed, but nevertheless feebly. The tibial spurs 
are present. The frenulum is lacking. The genera belonging to 
this family are American, and only five of them occur within our 
faunal limits. 
Genus ANISOTA Hubner 
Of the five species, recognized as belonging to this genus and 
occurring within our borders, we have selected three for repre¬ 
sentation. Anisota senatoria, a common species found in the 
Atlantic States, is distinguished from its very near ally, Anisota 
virginiensis , not only by marked differences in the larval stage, 
but by the fact that the females are almost exactly like the female 
of Anisota stigma , profusely covered with black spots or Reck¬ 
lings on the wings, while the females of virginiensis , as shown 
in the plate, are almost wholly destitute of such spots. The 
males of these two species are almost alike, the only difference 
being that the male insect in the case of virginiensis is somewhat 
darker than in the case of Anisota senatoria , and less ochreous. 
(i) Anisota stigma Fabricius, Plate XI, Fig. 9, $ ; Fig. 
10, $ . (The Stigma Moth.) 
The caterpillar feeds upon various species of oak. It is orna¬ 
mented with short spines upon the segments, arranged in rows, 
those on the second segment from the head being long and 
recurved. The color of the larvae at maturity is a dull reddish 
brown, marked with small creamy-white and gray punctulations. 
The insect occurs in the Appalachian faunal region, from Canada 
to the Carolinas, and westward to Kansas and Missouri. 
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