254 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS 



The angulif era-moth, Callosamia angullfera. — This is a somewhat 

 rare insect which closely resembles the promethea-moth. Specimens of 



it are usually a little larger than those of C. 

 promethea, and the transverse line and discal 

 spots are more angular. The most import- 

 ant differences, however, are presented by 

 the male, which quite closely resembles the 

 female of the promethea-moth in color and 

 markings, and thus differs decidedly from 

 the male of that species. The male of this 

 species is nocturnal, differing in this respect 

 from C. promethea. 



The larva feeds on the leaves of the tulip- 

 tree and of magnolia. It makes its cocoon 

 within a leaf or it crawls down the trunk of 

 the tree and spins its cocoon in the grass or 

 fastens it to some object on the ground. 

 The cocoon usually has no stem and when 

 made in a leaf falls to the ground in it 

 when the leaf falls. 



The cecropia-moth, Samia cecropia. — 

 This is the largest of our giant silk-worms, 

 the wings of the adult expanding from 5 to 

 6f inches. The ground color of the wings is 

 a grizzled dusky brown, especially on the 

 central area. The wings are crossed beyond 

 the middle by a white band, which is broadly 

 margined without with red, and there is a red 

 spot near the apex of the fore wing just 

 outside of a zigzag line. Each wing bears near 

 its center a crescent-shaped white spot 

 bordered with red. The outer margin of 

 the wings is clay-colored. The larva is known 

 to feed on at least fifty species of plants, 

 fig. 445- — Callosamia promethea, co- including apple, plum, and the more com- 

 mon forest-trees. When full-grown it meas- 

 ures from 3 to 4 inches in length and is dull bluish-green in color. The body is 

 armed with six rows of tubercles, extending nearly its entire length, and there 



Fig. 446. — Samia cecropia, cocoon. 



is an additional short row on each side of the ventral aspect of the first 

 five segments following the head. The tubercles on the second and third 



