Packiml.] ii^ [March 17, 



The Larva of IIemileuca artemis sp. nov.* 



Several full-grown larvae were received from Las Cruces, New Mexico, 

 kindly sent njeJune 15, 1891, by Mr. C. H. Tyler Townsend ; they were 

 found feeding on a species of long-leaved willow, and on a populus. 

 Mr. Townsend writes regarding these caterpillars : 



" I am informed that in previous years this caterpillar has been ex- 

 tremely abundant here, almost denuding the cottonwoods {F. fremontei). 

 They are said to appear in force later in the season. I rather doubt thi.s, 

 but will look out for more." 



Mature Laroa. — Length, 45 mm. The body is long and thick, of the 

 general shape and thickness of //. io, rather than of H. maia. Head 

 dull shining rod, about half as wide as the bod}' in the middle. Segments 

 of the body each with an irregular, deeply impressed, transverse wrinkle, 

 just behind the middle. A moderately large prothoracic plate, which is 

 irregular in shape and divided in the middle into two pieces ; it is dull 

 reddish lioney-yellow or chitinous in color. On the prothoracic segment 

 are eight large, high-branched spines, as large as any of the others on 

 the body behind ; they are black, with the spinules black at base, pale 

 flesh color beyond ; the terminal bristles are dark ; there are about 16-18 

 spinules on each spine, nearly as in U. maia, and tbe prothoracic spines 

 of ZT. io. The spines on the second thoracic segment are similar in shape 

 and lengtli to those in front, but slightly shorter and with a smaller num- 

 ber of spinules towards the end. On the third thoracic, to and including 

 the seventh abdominal segment, the two rows of dorsal spines are like 

 those of H. io behind the prothoracic segment, being short, thick, bushy 

 spines, with numerous radiating, yellow spmules, which are black at tip. 

 On the eighth segment there is a single, slightly larger one, with two 

 central spines, one on each side. Those on the ninth segment are like 

 tlie prothoracic ones, the median one being of the same size as the lateral 

 o les. There are no spines on the tenth or last segment. There is a sub- 

 dorsal and an infraspiracular row of spines like those on the first thoracic 

 segment along the sides of the abdomen, but on the thoracic segments 

 are two rows of infraspiracular spines. There is a rather large, broad, V- 

 shaped or short subcordate plate on the tenth segment of the same color 



* Hemileuca artemis sp. nov. 1 ? with wings not fully expanded. At first doubtfully re- 

 ferred to H. juno, I find on comparison with my types in the Museum of Comp. Zoology 

 at Cambridge that it is quite different. Tlie head and body are larger. The thorax is 

 much more white, both on the prothorax and on the palagia, which are entirely white. 

 The disk of tlie mesolhorax is thrown ; the two tufts, (me on each side behind, are orange- 

 red, instead of claret- red as in juno, and the liairs between the Ibrelegs and those on the 

 fore femora are of the same deep orange-red as the thoracic tufls. Juno has more 

 reddish hairs on the end of the abdomen, where they are all white in artemis. The 

 fore wings are white, with a black-brown border all around, completely enclosing the 

 entirely opaque Ijlack-brown discal spot, which, in the uncxpanded specimen, does not 

 enclose (as it does in J/oio) a lunate white spot. The blackish costal edge is as wide as 

 the outer edge. The hind wings are apparently much as in juno and in grotei. It does not 

 agree with the description of grotei (Trans. Amer. Ent. Sac, ii, 192, PI. ii, Fig. £0, 1868). 



