400 



The Moths and Butterflies 



Noctuids have come into ])n)niinence because of the destructive vegetable- 

 feeding habits of their hirv;e; such are the cutworm-moths, the army- 

 worm moths, the cotton-worm moths, and others, and these species are 

 so often described and pictured that they are fairly w-ell known. Other 

 small groups, of which the interesting Catocalas, the red and yellow under- 

 wings (Fig. 580), are the most conspicuous, have attracted the attention 

 of collectors because of particular habits or patterns, and these are fairly 





Fig. 580. — .\ group of red and yellow undcrwings; upper moth, Calocala palaogama; 

 lower left-hand comer, Calocala ultronia; \ov;er right-hand comer, Catocala grynea. 

 (.\ftcr Lugger; natural size.) 



well known. Few moth-collectors but have "sugared" for Catocalas, 

 tho.se large night-flyers, somber of fore wing but brilliant of hind wing, 

 that can be so readily attracted and taken by a bait of molasses and stale 

 beer smeared in patches on the trunks of trees in summer-time. The fore 

 wings harmonize in color, shades, and pattern so thoroughly with the bark 

 that when the Catocala rests, as it does during the daytime, on tree-trunks 

 with its brilliant hind wings, strikingly banded with red, yellow, white, or 

 black, covered by the fore wings, it is simply indistinguisiiablc. The 

 Catocala larv;e arc curious creatures, with body thick in the middle and 



