LEPIDOPTERA. 329 



the beginning of July, and comes forth in the moth state near the 

 end of August. The moth may be called Mamcstra picta, the 

 painted Mamestra, in allusion both to the beautiful tints of the 

 caterpillar, and to the softly blended shades of dark and light 

 brown with which the fore-wings of the moth are colored. It is 

 of a light brown color, shaded with purple brown ; the ordinary 

 spots on the fore- wings, with a third oval spot behind the round 

 one, are edged with gray ; and there is a transverse zigzag gray 

 line, forming a distinct W in the middle, near the outer hind mar- 

 gin. The hind-wings are white, and faintly edged with brown 

 around the tip. It is evident that this insect cannot be included 

 in either of the foregoing groups of the owlet-moths. It belongs 

 to a distinct family, which may be called Mamestrad^:, or Ma- 

 mestrians. The caterpillars in this group are generally distin- 

 guished by their bright colors ; they live more or less exposed on 

 the leaves of plants, and transform in the ground. The moths fly 

 by night only ; most of them have the thorax slightly crested ; 

 and they are easily known by the zigzag line, near the outer hind 

 margin of the fore-wings, forming a W or M in the middle. 



As the caterpillar of the painted Mamestra does not seek con- 

 cealment, it may easily be found, and destroyed by hand. 



At the end of the tribe of owlet- moths may be arranged cer- 

 tain insects, which, from the structure of their caterpillars and 

 their manner of creeping, evidently seem to connect this tribe 

 with the Geometers. Some of these caterpillars have the first 

 and sometimes also the second pair of proplegs, under the middle 

 of the body, so short, that they cannot be used in creeping ; oth- 

 ers have only twelve or fourteen legs, the first pair of the prop- 

 legs, or the second also, being entirely wanting in them. These 

 caterpillars creep with a kind of halting gait, and arch up the 

 middle of the body, more or less, with every step they take, 

 thereby imitating the gait of the true geometers or span-worms. 

 The twelve-legged caterpillars are sometimes injurious to culti- 

 vated vegetables ; but not enough so, in this country, to have at- 

 tracted much notice. Their moths are distinguished by golden 

 or silvery spots on their fore-wings. The species, with the first 

 and second pairs of proplegs short and rudimentary, feed mostly 

 on the leaves of shrubs and trees ; their moths are of large size 



42 



