688 



AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



Fig. 86i. — Catocala ilia. 



The underwings or catocalas, Catocala. — The most striking in 

 appearance of the noctuids, if we except the black witch and one or two 



alHed species, are 

 the moths belong- 

 ing to the genus 

 Catocala. These 

 moths are of large 

 size, often expand- 

 ing 7 5 mm. or more 

 The fore wings are 

 usually brown or 

 gray, marked with 

 wavy or zigzag 

 lines. The ground- 

 color of the hind 

 wings is black ; but 

 in many species 

 these wings are conspicuously banded with red, yellow, or white. 

 This peculiarity has suggested the name underwings by which these 

 insects are commonly known in England. The genus is a very large 

 one; more than loo species are now known from this country; and 

 many of these are extremely variable, so that nearly twice that 

 number of named forms are now recognized. The ilia underwing, 

 Catocala ilia, will serve as an example (Fig. 86 1). The larvse of the 

 underwings feed on the leaves of various forest-trees. Many species 

 infest oak and hickory. By careful search both the adults and larvae 

 can be found resting on the trunks of these trees; but it needs sharp 

 eyes to do it, as the colors of these insects are usually protective, 

 the bright-colored hind wings of the moths being covered by the fore 

 wings when the insect is at rest. 



The clover-looping-owlets, Ccsnurgia. — Among the more common 

 noctuids that occur in our meadows and pastures, and that fly up 

 before us as we walk through them, are two species belonging to the 

 genus Ccenurgia. These may be called the clover-looping owlets; for 

 the larvag feed on clover, and, as they have only three pairs of prolegs 

 they walk in a looping manner. One 

 of these species is Ccsnurgia erechtea. 

 This moth (Fig. 862) has dark or light 

 drab-gray fore wings, which are marked 

 by two large dark bands, as shown in 

 the figure. These bands are always 

 separate, distinct, and well defined 

 towards the inner margin in the male ; 

 in the female the markings are much 

 less distinct, the bands usually in- 

 visible. 



The other common species of this 

 genus is Ccenurgia crassiiiscula. In this species the fore wings have 

 either a distinct violaceous brown or a red or buffy shade, with the 



Fig. 862. — CcBHurgia erechteij 



