March, 1919] WEISS AND DlCKERSON : IxSECTS OF ROSE-MALLOW. 57 



Tarache (Acontia) delecta Wlk. 



Acontia delecta was described by Walker in 1857 (Cat. Br. Mus., 

 pt. xii, p. 799). In 1865 Grote described the same thing under the 

 name metallica (Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., iv, 327) from New Jersey 

 specimens. Packard in 1870 figured the larva and pupa under this 

 name (after Abbot) (Amer. Nat., iv, p. 229). Mr. Archibald C. 

 Weeks in 1888 under the title " Biography of Acontia delecta Walker 

 (Ent. Amer., vol. 4, p. 46) gave an account of the life history of the 

 insect, stating that he had collected "nearly full grown larvae during 

 the first week of September, 1884, feeding upon Hibiscus moscheu- 

 tos." Beutenmiiller in 1892 (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., iv, p. 68) 

 also gives a brief description of the larva. The species has been 

 noted in several lists and catalogues (Smith, Dyar, etc.), sometimes 

 with and sometimes without reference to distribution or locality. 



The strikingly colored, geometriform larvae of this species first 

 attracted our attention during the summer of 1917 feeding on the 

 leaves of the rose-mallow in a nursery at Rutherford, N. J. No 

 notes were made on its development, however, until the present year, 

 1918, when it was observed at various intervals during the season. 



The insect is two-brooded and hibernates in the pupal stage. 

 From these overwintering pupae adults emerge in late May or early 

 June, and as oviposition is undoubtedly of several days' duration, 

 larval development is somewhat irregular. Larvae, mostly of small 

 size, were observed in the nursery at Rutherford on June 1 and from 

 then until early in July, caterpillars of this brood were to be found. 

 Second brood moths were first observed on July 8 at Arlington, N. J., 

 and at that point and other places, throughout the rest of the month 

 and in early August. Larvae developing from eggs deposited by this 

 brood of moths were first observed at Rutherford about the middle 

 of July. Development, however, is irregular and oviposition con- 

 tinues for some time as larvae could be found until early September, 

 while some noted on August 27 were not more than half grown. 

 These larvae pupate in the fall and it is in this stage that the winter 

 is passed. 



The adult is a conspicuous moth, reminding one somewhat of a 

 small Euthisonotia unio or grata. 



Smith (Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, vol. 27, p. 60) says: "This very 

 handsome species is so much different from all its allies that recogni- 



