LEPIDOPTERA 



243 



The adult has mouse-gray wings; the abdomen is yellow, with a row of 

 black spots along the middle of the back. 



The tiger-moth, A panics is virgo. — This moth is probably one of the 



Fig. 424. — Euchcetias egle, larva. 



most typical and striking in appearance of all the tiger-moths. The front 

 wings are velvety-black marked with cream-colored bands. The hind 

 wings are reddish with black spots and the stout abdomen is also red with 

 a row of black spots down the middle of the back and a similar row along 

 each side (Fig. 425). There are other members of this genus similarly 

 marked in striking and attractive patterns. 



Fig. 423. — Apantesis virgo. 



Fig. 426. — Estigmene acraa. 



The salt-marsh caterpillar, Estigmene acrcea. — The popular name 

 of this insect was given to it nearly a century ago, and was suggested by 

 the fact that the salt-marsh meadows near Boston, were overrun and laid 

 waste by swarms of the larvae. But the name is misleading, as the species 

 is widely distributed throughout the United States, and infests a great 

 variety of grasses and garden crops. The moth (Fig. 426) is white, marked 

 with yellow and black. There are many black dots on the wings, a row 

 of black spots on the back of the abdomen, another row on the venter, 

 and two rows on each side. The sexes differ greatly in the ground-color 

 of the wings; in the female, this is white throughout; in the male, only 

 the upper surface of the fore wings is white, the lower surface of the fore 

 wings and the hind wings above and below being yellow. The number 



