Academy of Scietntoe. 41 



Telea Hubner. 



169. Polyphemus Linn. — The American Silkworm. Varying from ash color to 

 j^ellowish l)rown, with reddish tinges; a purple and brown narrowband near the 

 margin of each wing ; a transparent eye-spot upon each front wing, bordered nar- 

 rowly with yellow and black ; a larger black eye-spot upon each hind wing, with 

 transparent center bordered with yellow, and with blue scales upon the black: 

 expands 43^ to 53=^ inches; feeds upon oak, walnut, hickory, basswood, elm, maple, 

 hazel, apple, rose, quince, thorn, i^lum, choke-cherry, sycamore, poplar, birch, 

 honey -locust and willow (Riley's 4th Report). Not rare; excellent silken fabrics 

 may be made from the cocoon of this species. 



Trop^a Hubner. 



170. Ijuna Linn. — Pale green, with front margin of front wings brown, an eye- 

 spot upon each of the four wings, and long tails to the hind wings; expands 4 to 

 A% inches. Common; feeds chiefly upon black walnut and hickory, sometimes 

 also upon willow and plum. 



Samia Hubner. 



171. Gecropia Linn. — The largest of all our moths; expanding 5 to 7i/^ inches ; 

 general color brown ; bases of wings reddish, a reddish white-bordered band cross- 

 ing all the wings, the white border most conspicuous on the hind wings ; a large 

 reniform white and reddish spot at the center of each wing; a black eye-spot 

 enclosing a narrow semicircle of blue, and a violet patch near the apex of front 

 wings. Common ; feeds upon apple, cherry, currant, barberry, hazel, plum, hick- 

 ory, blackberry, elderberry, elder, elm, lilac, red-root, maple, willow, and honey- 

 locust. (Riley's list of food-plants.) 



BoMBYx Linnaeus. 



172. mori Linn. — The Chinese Silkworm. White, with faint smoky markings; 

 expands 1 4-5 inches; introduced successfully, feeding upon our native Osage 

 orange as well as upon the mulberry. The frequent cultivation of this species 

 would seem to entitle it to a place in a list of Kansas insects. 



CiTHERONiA Hubner. 



173. reyaUs Fab. — The Regal Walnut-moth. Front wings olive, with longitudi- 

 nal red lines and seven or eight yellow spots; hind wings orange, spotted with 

 olive and with yellow bases. Common ; feeds upon the black walnut. The green 

 caterpillar is 5 to 6 inches long, with long, yellow, black-tipped spines. 



Eagles Hubner. 



174. imperialis Drury. — The Imperial Moth. Yellow with brown bases, a brown 

 central spot and a transverse brown band upon each wing ; entire surface sprinkled 

 with brown dots; the male with more brown than the female; expands 4 to 6 

 inches. Rare ; feeds upon button-wood, pine, and oak. 



EucHRONiA Packard. 



175. Mcda Drury.— Buck Moth. Pale black, with a white band crossing each 

 wing; a black, white-centered spot in the white of each wing; expands 2.3 to 3.1 

 inches. Not common ; feeds upon oak, hazel and wild cherry ; flies in November ; 

 occupies two years in making its transformations. 



Hyperchikia Hubner. 



176. 'varia Walker {lo Harris). — Yellow with a large black white-pupiled eye- 

 spot upon each hind wing, behind which are two narrow bands, a black and a red. 

 In the female the front wings are reddish brown instead of j^ellow ; expands 2iif to 

 Z% inches. Not common ; feeds upon false indigo, wild cherry, willow, poplar, 

 hop-vine and corn. 



