LEPIDOPTERA 



697 



Family AGARISTID^ 



The Foresters 



The validity of this family is in doubt. Some of the best -known 

 genera that were formerly included in it have been transferred to the 

 Noctuidse ; and it is an open 

 question whether or not the 

 remaining genera should be 

 similarly transferred. 



The character that is 

 used to distinguish these 

 moths from the Noctuidse 

 is that the antennas are more 

 or less thickened towards 

 the tip, while in the Noctu- 

 idas the shaft of the antennae 

 tapers regularly. The ve- 

 nation of the wings (Fig. 

 880) is very similar to that 

 of some noctuids. 



The larvae are but slight- 

 ly clothed and live exposed 

 on the leaves of plants. 

 They are distinguished from 

 those of the Noctuidee only 

 in color, nearly all of the 

 species being transversely 

 striped. Our more common 

 species feed chiefly on grape 

 and Virginia-creeper, which 

 they sometimes injure to a serious extent. In such cases they can be 

 destroyed by the use of arsenical poisons, even in vineyards in the East, 

 as the application would have to be made early in the season and the 

 simmier rains would wash the poison from the vines. The pupa state 

 is passed either in an earthen cell or in a very slight cocoon. 



The family as now restricted is one of limited extent, only sixteen 

 North- American species are known. The larger nimiber of these occur 

 in the Far West or in the Gulf States. The following are the best- 

 known species. 



The eight-spotted forester, Alypia octomaculdta. — This species is 

 of a deep velvety-black color. The front wings have two large sulphur- 

 yellow spots; and the hind wings, two white spots. The tegulse are 

 sulphur-yellow. In markings both sexes of this species closely re- 

 semble the male of the following species represented in Figure 88 2. 



The larva (Fig. 881) feeds upon the leaves of grape and Virginia- 

 creeper, and sometimes occurs in such large numbers as to do serious 

 injury. The ground-color of the larva is white, with eight black stripes 

 on each segment, and a broader orange band, bounded by th'i two 



2dA 



Fig. 880. — -Wings of Copidryas gloveri. 



