276 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION. 



page 33, where I gave to it the name of Arctia textor, the 

 weaver, from the well-known habits of its caterpillar. Should 

 it be found expedient to remove it from the genus Arctia, I 

 propose to call the genus, which shall include it, Hi/phantria, 

 a Greek name for weaver, and place in the same genus the 

 many-spotted ermine-moth, Arctia punctatissima of Sir J. E. 

 Smith, which is found in the Southern States, and agrees with 

 our weaver in habits. From the foregoing account of the 

 habits and transformations of the fall web-worm, or Hyphantria 

 textor, it is evident that the only time in which we can attempt 

 to exterminate these destructive insects with any prospect of 

 success, is when they are young and just beginning to make 

 their webs on the trees. So soon, then, as the webs begin to 

 appear on the extremities of the branches, they should be 

 stripped off, with the few leaves which they cover, and the 

 caterpillars contained therein, at one grasp, and should be 

 crushed under foot. 



There are many kinds of hairy caterpillars in Massachusetts, 

 differing remarkably from those of the other Arctians, and re- 

 sembling in some respects those belonging to the next tribe, 

 with which they appear to connect the true Arctians. The 

 first of these are little party-colored tufted caterpillars, which 

 may be found in great plenty on the common milk-weed, 

 Asclepias Byriaca, during the latter part of July and the whole 

 of August. Although the plants on which these insects live 

 are generally looked upon as weeds, and cumberers of the soil, 

 yet the insects themselves are deserving of notice, on account 

 of their singularity, and the place that they fill in the order to 

 which they belong. They keep together in companies, side by 

 side, beneath the leaves, their heads all turned towards the 

 edge of the leaf w^hile they are eating, and when at rest they 

 arch up the fore part of the body and bend down the head, 

 which is then completely concealed by long overhanging tufts 

 of hairs, and if disturbed they jerk their heads and bodies in a 

 very odd way. These harlequin caterpillars have sixteen legs, 

 wiiich, with the head, are black. Their bodies are black also, 

 with a whitish line on each side, and are thickly covered with 

 short tufts of hairs proceeding from little warts. Along the 



