690 



AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 





.v^ ■ 



Fig. 867. — Apatela morula. 



in his "Tentamen," of which Apatela is one. The fore wings of these 

 moths are generally light gray with dark spots, and in many species 



have a dagger-like mark near the 

 anal angle. On this account they 

 have received the name of daggers. 

 The larvas exhibit much diversity in 

 appearance; those of some species 

 are hairy like the larv^os of arctiids, 

 while others are nearly naked. 



The ochre dagger, Apatela moru- 

 la. — This moth (Fig. 867) is pale 

 gray wnth a yellowish tinge. Besides 

 the black line forming part of the 

 dagger near the anal angle of the 

 fore wing, there is a similar black line near the base of the wing, 

 and a third near the outer margin between veins Mi and M2. The 

 larva feeds on elm and basswood. When full-grown it is mottled 

 brown and greenish lil<e bark; it is clothed with but few scattered 

 hairs, and has a hump on the first, fourth, and eighth abdominal seg- 

 ments. 



The American dagger, Apatela americdna: — ^This is ^v gray moth 

 resembling in its general appearance the preceding, but with the black 

 lines on the fore wdngs much less distinct. Its larva, however, is very 

 different (Fig. 868). This larva looks like an arctiid, being densely 

 clothed with yellow hairs. But these hairs are scattered over the 

 stirf ace of the body instead of growing 

 from tubercles as with the larvae of 

 arctiids. Along the sides of the body 

 and at each end are a few scattered 

 hairs that are longer than the gen- 

 eral clothing, and there are two 

 pairs of long black pencils borne by 

 first and third abdominal segments, 

 and a single pencil on the eighth ab- 

 dominal segment. When at rest the 

 larva remains curled sidewise on a 

 leaf, as shown in the figure. It feeds 

 on maple, ekn, and other forest trees. 

 The witch-hazel dagger, Apatela 

 hamamelis: — In the latter part of 

 summer and in autiunn what is be- 

 lieved to be the larva of this species is 

 common on the leaves of witch-hazel , 

 oak, and other forest trees. It differs 

 greatly in appearance from the pre- 

 ceding species, being nearly naked 

 (Fig. 869). Wlien at rest it usually 

 lies curled as shown in the figure. 

 It varies in color from light yellow to reddish brown. 



Fig. 868. — Apatela americana, lar\'a. 



Its most char- 



