41 



eles of green, blue, yellow and red colours. It spins a cocoon in a manner similar to T. 

 Polyphemus, which it much resembles iu its habits save that the cocoon remains attached to 

 the trees. The larva is subject to the attacks of a parasitic racAina fly. Mr. Bethune. states 

 that the most effective remedy is to go round the orchard or garden in the winter, and cut 

 off the cocoons which are so large and conspicuous as to be at once seen. 



6. TIJE MAPLE OWLET MOTH. {Apatela Americana, R&tt.) 



Order, Lepidopteka ; Family, NocTurD.E. 



During the later portion of the summer months and early in the fall, the caterpillar (A 

 the owlet moth may often be met with. It is about three inches long at maturity, the 

 upper side of the body is greenish-yellow, and covered with long soft yellow hairs, 

 with four long slender erect tufts of black hairs, two on the fourth and two on the sixth 

 segments, and a long single tuft on the eleventh segment ; the head, last segment, and all 

 the under side, including the feet, are black. During repose it remains curled up side- 

 wise. Dr. Harris writes that " when about to make its cocoon, it creeps into chinks of the 

 bark or into cracks of fences and spins a loose half-oval web of silk, intermixed with the 

 hairs of its body ; under this it then makes another and tougher pod of silk, thickened 

 with fragments of bark and wood, and there when its work is done changes into a chrysalis, 

 in which state it remains till the following summer." The perfect moth expands about 

 three inches. The fore wings are light gray — near the outer margin there is a wavy seal 

 loped whitish line, edged with black, and there are various black lines and streaks edged 

 in the same way ; as are also the reniform or kidney shaped spots in the middle of the 

 wing. The outer edge of both fore and hinder wings is fringed with wavy black and white 

 spots. The hind wing? are of a rather darker shade of gray in the males, while those of 

 the female are more dingy or reddish brown. All the wings are whitish and shining on 

 the under side, with a black wavyj curved band and a central semi-circular spot on each, 

 the fringes are the same colour as on the upper side. . The body is reddish brown above, 

 and much lighter in colour on the under side. The four wings have the peculiar mark re- 

 sembling the Greek letter" if/," though not so distinctly as in " Acronycta Psi," whose his- 

 tory we related in the report for 1870, when treating of the plum. The Thorax is very 

 thick, with prominent collar and shoulders. 



The family name of this moth is given to it from its nocturnal habits, having been 

 named by the great entomologist Linnaeus from " Noctua," the Latin word for an owl. 

 The maple owlet is the largest of our American species. It is very similar to, and has 

 sometimes been mistaken for Apatela Accris, the maple moth of Europe, although the 

 l&rvsa do not bear any resemblance to each other. 



6. THE BANDED MAPLE MOTH (Ophiusa Ustriaris, Hubner.) 



Order, Lepidoptera; Family, NoCTUiD.«. 



It is somewhat hard to believe that this elf gant little moth can be the cause of any 

 mischief to our maples, but we must not be deceived by appearances, for it is a veritable 



tnemy. 



The moth expands about one inch and three-quarters. The wings are large, and 

 clearly and neatly shapen. The colour of theforewings is a rich chocolate brown, witii a 

 broad" lighter margin on the outer edge, with a wavy scalloped line dividing it length- 

 ways ; there are two whitish lines edged on the inner side with a deeper shade of chocolate 

 brown, the outer of these two lines forms the inner side of the marginal broad border ; 

 the hind wings are of a uniform reddish brown, with two indistinct transverse lines and 

 bordered with a whitish fringe, margined interiorly with a scalloped black hue. The 

 under side of all the wings is of a light brown colour, with a black wavy transverse line 

 and a central black sjjot in each wing, and a broad whitish border with blackish ."scftl- 

 loped margin, and a fringe ; the body is the same colour above as the fore wings ; the liPAd 

 is thickly clothed with deeper red collar ; the feelers are erect and prominent. 



The larva has been bred by Mr. William Saunders from the Silver Maple, Aim 



