THE INSECT WORLD. 289 



and stout, crossed by a series of more or less marked crenulated 

 or wavy lines, and with two usually darker or paler spots in the 

 discal part of the wing. Of these, that nearest to the base of 

 the wing is round or nearly so, and is called the orbicular ; the 

 other and larger, nearest to the outer part of the wing, is kidney- 



FiG. 322. 



Wing of an owlet-moth, with all the markings defined and named. — Right wings. 

 1^, basal line; /.a., transverse anterior line; WZ., median line or shade; t.p., transverse 

 posterior line; st., sub-terminal line; t., terminal line; sm., sub-median vein; apex 

 of hind wing; o.»i.i, outer margin ; ;'.;«.', inner margin. Left wings : d.rf., basal dash ; 

 cL, claviform ; or., orbicular spot ; ren., reniforni spot ; ap., apical spot ; cm., costal mar- 

 gin ; o.m., outer martrin ; i.m., inner margin; h.a., hind angle; d.s., discal spot; e.l., 

 exterior line ; an., anal angle. 



shaped, or narrow-ovate, and is called the reniform. These 

 terms are frequently used in economic literature, and the spots 

 are in many cases characteristic. Taken as a whole, the species 

 of the Noctuid family are very much alike, and no attempt will 

 be made here to distinguish them, except in the most superficial 

 manner. The hind wings are usually without markings, and 

 when at rest are concealed by the fore-wings, which lie overlap- 

 ping and covering them, either flat on the back or roof-like, a 

 little oblique. In the early part of the series we have a number 

 of species with hairy caterpillars that sometimes feed on shade- 

 trees. We occasionally find a rather large yellow caterpillar, 

 densely clothed with soft yellowish hairs and interspersed here 

 and there a pencil of much longer, black hair. This is the cater- 

 pillar oi Acronyda americana, one of the "dagger-moths," so 



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