BOMBYCID.E. 



301 



spicuous webs placed in neglected apple trees and on the wild 

 cherry. The eggs are laid on tlie twigs, in bunches of from 

 300 to 400, placed side by side and covered with a tongli 

 gunnny matter ; they are sometimes infested b}^ chalcid para ■ 

 sites. 



The larvte of C. Americana Harris hatch out just as the 

 leaves are unfolding and soon form a web, under which the col- 

 ony lives. They may be destroyed by previously searching 

 for the bunches of eggs on the twigs before the tree is leaver^ 

 out, and the caterpilhirs may be killed with a brush or mop 

 dipped into strong soap-suds, or a weak solution of petroleum. 



The larvje become full grown about the middle of June, then 

 spin their dense wliite cocoons, under the l)ark of trees, etc., 

 and the moths appear about the 

 first of Jul}'. The larva of C. 

 Americana is aliout two inches 

 long, hairy, with a dorsal white 

 stripe, witli numerous fine crin- 

 kled black lines on a yellow 

 ground, united below into a 

 common black band, with a blue 

 spot on the side of eacli ring. 

 The moth (Fig. 232, and larva) 

 is reddish brown, with two obli(]ue, dirty white lines on the 

 fore wings. It expands from an inch and a quarter to an iucli 

 and a half. Tlie Forest Tent caterpillar, C. disstria Ili'ibner 

 (C. sylvatica Harris) differs in the apex of the fore wings 

 being much longer, with two transverse rust brown, nearly 

 straight, parallel lines. It is somethnes destructive to the 

 apple and oak trees. 



The Hejiiali are a group of boring moths, the larvre boring 

 in the stems of plants or in trees. The wings are narrow, botii 

 pairs being \evy equal in size, and show a tendency to recur to 

 the net-veined style of venation of the Neuroptera. Xylevtes in 

 a large moth, with a stout vein passing through the middle of 

 tlie discal space, and the short antennje have two rows of short 

 teeth on the under side. X. rohinia.' Peck is gray, with irregu- 

 lar l)lack lines and dots on the wings, and a black line on the 

 inside of the shoulder tippets. The hind wings of the male 



