SATURNIA. 221 



It feeds on sassafras {Laurus sassafras), dogwood {Cormis Jlo- 

 ridd), and poplar {Liriodendron). 

 United States, 



2. S. maia Drury. Figured in Sm. Abb. pi. 50. Proserpina Fab. Nat. 



Library XXXVII, p. 154, pi. 16, fig. 1. Drury II, pi. 42. Cram. 

 Pap. Exot. II, 3 pi. 98. Pal. Beauv. Ins. Afr. et Amer. pi. 24. 



Head and antennae black ; the latter strongly pectinated. Tho- 

 rax in front whitish. Top of head black and hairy, behind ferru- 

 ginous. Abdomen above black, terminated by a tuft of ferruginous 

 hairs in the males ; below gray, with white spots on the sides. 

 Wings black, thin and translucent ; they are crossed by a whitish 

 band, which expands on the inferiors. On each there is a black 

 spot, with a whitish streak on it. Under side similar. Legs 

 black ; femurs ferruginous. Expands two and a half inches. 



The larva varies much in color, according to age. When full 

 grown, it is yellow, witli a broad dark stripe on each side and two 

 reddish tubercles on the top of each segment. The head, posterior 

 segment, and legs, purplish red. Each segment has several hairy 

 spines. 



Feeds on various species of oak. 



United States. 



3, S. hera Harris, Ins, of New England, p. 286. Fig. on pi. 359, IV of 



Audubon's Birds of America. 



Resembles S. maia in form and size, but the wings are more 

 opaque. Color pale yellow. On each of the wings there is a 

 reniform black spot between two transversely undulating black 

 bands ; outer margin black ; the veins, from the external black 

 band to the edge are marked with broad black lines, and there is 

 a short black line at the base of the superiors. The head, forepart 

 of the thorax, and upper side of the legs are deep ochre yellow. 

 The rings of the abdomen are transversely banded with black at 

 the base and with ochre yellow on their hinder edges. The reni- 

 form spots on the superiors have a very slender central yellow cres- 

 cent, and those on the inferiors touch the external black band. 



Expands three inches. 



The other moth figured on the same plate in Audubon is proba- 

 bly the female of hera. 



Southern States, 



Harris. 



