236 INSECTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



most of the under-side is golden yellow, as are the edges of the 

 collar, of the shoulder covers, and of the fan-shaped brush on the 

 tail, and there is a broad yellow band across the middle of the ab- 

 domen, preceded by two narrow bands of the same color. 



There are several more insects* belonging to this group in 

 Massachusetts, one of which lives in the stems of the lilac, and 

 another inhabits those of the wild currant, Ribes jloridum. The 

 winged male of the latter species is remarkable for the very long, 

 slender, and cylindrical tuft or pencil at the extremity of the 

 body. Of the rest, there is nothing particularly worthy of note. 



The Glaucopidiansf, so named from the glaucous or bluish 

 green color of some of the species, are distinguished from the 

 other Sphinges by their antennae, which, in the males at least, and 

 sometimes in both sexes, are feathered, or furnished on each side 

 with little slender branches, parallel to each other like the teeth 

 of a comb. In scientific works such antennae are called pecti- 

 nated, from pecten, the Latin for comb. The caterpillars of the 

 Glaucopidians have sixteen feet, are slender, and cylindrical, with 

 a few hairs scattered generally over the surface of the body, or 

 arranged in little tufts arising from minute warts, and are without a 

 horn on the hinder extremity. They devour the leaves of plants, 

 and make for themselves cocoons of coarse silk, in which they 

 undergo their transformations. The chrysalids are oblong oval, 

 rounded at one end, tapering at the other, and are not provided 

 with transverse rows of teeth on the surface of the body. In the 

 caterpillar and winged states, in the nature of their transforma- 

 tions, and in their habits, these insects approach very closely to 

 the Phalaenae, or moths, forming the third division of Lepidopte- 

 rous insects, among which they are arranged by some naturalists. 

 There are not many of them in Massachusetts, and only one spe- 

 cies requires to be noticed here:}:. This is the Frocris Ameri- 

 cana, a small moth of a blue-black color, with a saffron-colored 

 collar, and a notched tuft on the extremity of the body. The 

 wings, which are very narrow, expand nearly one inch. This 

 little insect is the American representative of the Procris vitis or 



• See " Silliman'a Journal", Vol. XXXVI., p. 309 to 313. 



t See additional observations on page 225. 



J For the other species see " Silliman's Journal", Vol. XXXVI., p. 31G to 311). 



