104 MEMOIES OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Larva (fall fed). — Head svibrotund, dark brown, and two Hues on the front lighter brown. 

 Body with tlie thoracic segments tapering; terminal segnlent^s tapering and tlattened posteriorly; 

 ventral region flattened, the anal legs projecting behind. Color of the body, gray; numerous flue 

 black linings, among which may be traced two forming a vascular stripe and two simdar lateral 

 stripes on each side. On segment 1, anteriorly, are four dorsal white lines: posteriorly, black; 

 segment 2 is black anteriorly, behind which are irregular black liumgs; segments, as the preceding 

 one; on segments 5 to 10 the dorsal black linings assume a V shape, the apex resting ou the suture 

 and inclosing centrally two yellow-green subelliptical snots, with a similar spot exterior to each 

 within the superior lateral stripe. 



From the first segment long whitish brown hairs project over the head, nearly concealing it; 

 from the middle of the second and third segments whitish hairs project forward, of which those 

 ou the latter segment are shorter and arranged somewhat in tufts, beneath which, when extended, 

 some short, stifl', red hairs are seen; laterally below the stigmata are two rows of fascicles of white 

 hairs of unequal length, mingled with a few longer brown ones, extending rectangularly with the 

 body until to its middle, whence the remainder are directed backward; from the terminal segment 

 white and brown hairs, of greater length than elsewhere on the body, project horizontally, brush- 

 like, backward; short whitish hairs are scattered sparsely over the body. (The larva escaped 

 before its description could be completed, and the remainder is from memory.) On the vascular 

 line on eacli segment is a tuft of black hairs about 0.0(i inch long, the ends of which converge to a 

 point. The prolegs project laterally, almost hidden by the hairs. Ventrally is a broad fuscous 

 stripe. (Lintner.) 



Habits. — Lintner found eight or ten larvre near Albany, early in September, feeding on the 

 ash, and Mr. Meske collected thein from the lilac (iSt/riHg((- ndgaris). When not eating, they 

 usually occurred resting ou and closely appressed to a twig. The first transformation to a pupa 

 ■was on September 14. The larva has a marked gastropachan aspect. (Lintner.) 



Food 2ilaiit.s. — Ash and Syringa. 



Geogvaphical distribution. — Medford, Mass. (W. H. Dall, Mus. Comp. Zool. Cambridge); 

 eastern New York (Lintner, Meske); Plattsburg, N. Y". (Hudson); Middle Atlantic States (Grote, 

 Coll. Amer. Ent. Soc. Phil.); Ontario, Canada; New York, New Jersey (Palm); North Carolina, 

 Ohio, Irvingtou, 111. (French); Enterprise, Fla. (Thaxter). 



Var. indistincta H. Edwards. 



J}>atcloi1c8 iniHstinctd Edw. Ent. Amer.. ii, p. 13, April, 1S86. 

 Smith, List Lep. Bor. Amer., p. 211, 1891. 

 ■ Kirby, Syii. Cat, Lep. Het., i. p, 8.52, 1892, 



XnT. indistincia, Neum. and Dyar, Trans, Amer, Ent, 8oc,, p. 184, 1894. 



Primaries of a grayish drab, tinted with reddi.sh, the lines and marks all obsolete; the 

 surface dotted with black irroi-ations. There is near the apex a semitransparcnt square spot, 

 with a smaller one beneath it. The fringe is reddish chestnut. The secondaries are reddish 

 testaceous, without marks. Underside wholly reddish fawn-color, with a few black and brown 

 specks, but wholly without the dark shading so conspicuous in A. torrcfacta. Thorax color of 

 primaries. Abdomen reddish testaceous, with brown dots. Expanse of wings, 35 mm.; length of 

 body, IS mm., 1 $ . Indian Itiver, Florida, Coll. B. Neumoegen, (Ent. Amer., ii, p. 13); Florida 

 (French). 



Subfamily III. — Pyg.erin.e. 



Head rather large, the front rather broad; the antenna- ciliated, not pectinated in the male. 

 The body and wings are usually, and in all the species of Datana, reddi.sh ocherous, the fore wings 

 being crossed by from four to five straight parallel lines. Egg oral cylindrical, smooth; top 

 depressed. 



Larva brightly banded and very hairy; no tubercles, the body being smooth. They spin 

 no cocoon, bur pupate deep in the earth. ' 



' Hnms says of D. ministi-a: ''When ready to transform, all the individuals of the same brood quit the tree at 

 once, descending by night, and burrow into the ground to the depth of .3 or 4 inches, and, within twenty-four 

 hours afterwards, east their caterpillar skins, and become chrysalids witliout making eocoons. They remain in the 

 ground in this state all winter, and are changed to moths aud come out betweeu the middle and end of July," 

 (Treatise, p, 430.) 



