MEMOIRS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SGIENCEy. 165 



Notodonta stragula Grote. 



(PI. IV, lig. i.) 



Xoiodimta stragula Grote, Proc. Ent. .Soc. Phil., iii, p. 93, PI. XI, fig. 2, i , 1SG4. 

 Pack., Proc. Eut. Soc. Phil., iii, p. 357, 186-1. 

 Grote, Chock List N. Amer. Moths, p. 18, 1882. 

 Smith, List Lep. Bor. Amer., p. 30, 1891. 

 Kirby, Syn. Cat. Lep. Het., i, p. 601, 1892. 

 Xotodonta pacifica Behr, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., 2(1 ser., iii, p. 206, April, 1892. 



stritijuhi Xeum. and Dyar, Traus. Amer. Eut, Soc, xxi, p. 185, Juue, 1894; Jouni. X. Y. Eiit. Soc, 

 ii. p. 113, Sept., 1894. 



Larva. 



(PL XIX, tigs. 1-3.) 



Tepper, Bull. Ent. Soc, Brooklyn, i, p. 10, 1878. 



Edunrds and Elliot, Papilio, iii, p. 129, 1883. 



I'ackard, 5th Eep. U. S. Eut. Comm. ou Forest Insects, ijp. 45lj, 4l)3, 1890. 



Moth. — Auterior wings slaty gray, shaded with pale buff along internal margin, with a 

 cliestnnt-brown basal patch and some brown streaks and spots in the terminal space; internal 

 margin crested. Extreme base of the wing brownish; basal line distinct; snbbasal space large, 

 grayish at costa, rich chestnnt-brown below the cnbital vein, pale buff along the internal margin, 

 which latter shade extends from base to internal angle. A very dark brown streak extends from 

 the basal line to the transverse auterior line below the median vein, and a similar streak at internal 

 margin. Transverse anterior line daik brown, grayish at costa, undulate, bordered anteriorly by 

 a pale buff shade from below subcostal vein to internal margin. Median space widest at costa, 

 narrow at internal margin, grayish, with an elongate pale discal spot with dark brown center. 

 Transverse posterior line cinereous, indistinct, subdentate, continued. Terminal space with a 

 series of rich chestnut-brown streaks between the veins; twt) more, linear, near the a]iex. Posterior 

 wings pale cinereous with two indistinct median bands; anal angle touched with brownisli. 

 Thorax and collar brownish; tegnhe grayish; abdomen cinereous, slightly browni.sh above. Under 

 surface of thorax and inside of legs brownisli ; uutside of legs and sides of thorax clothed with 

 cinereous hairs. Expanse of wings, l.tiO inches. (Grote.) 



Dr. Dyar writes me that he has seen Behr's X. ixicifica. -'It is just like N. iiira(jHla, \mt 

 darker, the thorax most black." I have also seen a poor specimen in Mr. Dyar's collection. It may 

 be compared with I'lieotiin porUandla, wliich I regard as a melanotic form of P. dimliJiuid. I 

 copy Behr's description. 



Anterior wings; hasal third brown, liordered by a darker line, preceded by a dilution; from these the auterior 

 half ashy gray, tlio po.sterior half brown; the second liue convergent and almost touching the first line that borders 

 the basal third of the wing, preceded by a discal linear mark, which is followed by a diluted shade, eudiug with a 

 ■well-darkened apical mark, divided by two uorves into three spots. Near the external margin a diluted fulvous 

 shade. Hind wings grayish. 



Found in Placer County, Cal. 



The species is similar to X. :ic:ac, but the thorax is darker than the iiuterior wings. 



Tyiie in collection of the California Academy of Sciences. 



Lttrra. — Dr. Dyar has sent me the following description of the early larval stages from his 

 notes : 



"AY«//(' J. — On hatching the larva runs to the apex of the leaf and sits with the anterior half of 

 its body projecting. It eats the upper surface of the leaf. Head round, pale brown; width, ."> 

 mm. Body shining, sordid greenish, a subdorsal whitish line which becomes broken into oblirpie 

 segmentary lines on the abdomen, a whitish lateral line. Segments (> and 1- slightly enlarged 

 dorsally. Thoracic feet and leg idates black. Cervical shield pale brown, tiansverse. Tubercles 

 distinct, black, normal i-v, vi absent, a long one on the leg plate. (It is structurally not different 

 from Nerice in Stage I, and has the same habits. 



" Stage IT. — Head high, narrowed towai-d the vertex, flattened before; smoky blackish mottled 

 with pale in front in two ill defined vertical bands. Body dark purplish with a blackish dorsal 

 baud and a pale shade on the side of the hump ou abdominal segment 8 and slight pale lateral 

 obli<iue lines. Prominence on abdominal segment 2 very slight. Thoracic feet black. Setie short 

 and obscure. 



