424 



The Moths and Butterflies 



which vary a little in male and female of promelhea, are identical in this. It 

 is found also only in the Atlantic states. 



The lo emperor-moth, Aiitomcris io (PI. VI, Fig. 5; also Fig. 610), ex- 

 panse 2\ to 3 inches, is the most familiar and the only eastern species of 

 the four members of this genus. It can be recognized by the large blue 

 and black eye-spots in hind wings and by its unmarked fore wings. The 

 female has rich purplish-brown fore wings, the markedly smaller male yellow 

 fore wings. The larva (Fig. 611), which feeds on trees, small fruits, corn, 

 clover, etc., when full-grown is 2\ inches long, and is pale green with a 



Fig. 609. — The promethca-moth, Cullostimia promelhea, male. 

 (.'Vfter Jordan and Kellogg; natural size.) 



broad brown stripe edged with white and rcddi.sh lilac on each side, and 

 has the body covered with clusters of black-tipped green branching spiny 

 hairs which are very sharp and strongly stinging. The thin, irregular 

 parchment-like cocoon made of tough gummy brown silk is spun under 

 dead leaves or other rubbish on the ground. In Te.xas is found .1. zcUeri, 

 expanse 5 inches, reddish brown, without any yellow color in hind wings; 

 in Arizona .4. pamina, expanse 2 J 103 inches, with yellow around the white- 

 centered black eye-spots of the hind wings; and in New Mexico ,4. sf/i/zyrw, 

 expanse 2^ to 3 inches, with brown-black fore wings and pale-brown abdomen 

 broadly banded with red. 



With a single species, the maia moth, in the eastern states, and but half 

 a dozen in the Rocky Mountains, desert and Pacific slope states, the genus 

 Hemileuca presents a striking difTerence from the other Saturnians so far 



