GRAPTA II. 



Body above dark fulvous, tlie thorax covered witla greenish hairs; below grey 

 ferruginous; legs ptde buff'; palpi buft', fulvous at tip and and on ujijier side; an- 

 teunse dark brown above, buff' below ; club black, yellowish at tij). 



Female. Exjiands 2.5 inches. 



Rather less incised than the male and on upper side similar. Under side 

 varying between dark brown and yellow brown; in either case a grey shade over 

 the extra basal space, and the markings nearly lost in the ground color. 



Comma is found in the Eastern and Middle States and at least as far "West as 

 Illinois. And also in Canada and I^ritish America. I have received it from Nova 

 Scotia and from Fort Simpson, ]\Iackenzies River. It is rather local, but where it 

 is found it is abundant. It is one of the commonest species on the Kanawha 

 River, there being several successive broods from early in the season to November. 



The larva is found on the hop, nettle and false nettle (Boehmeria) feeding 

 sinsrlv. It conceals itself on the under side of a leaf the outer edges of which are 

 drawn together by silken threads sufficiently to afford a protection from light and 

 the weather. From this cover the larva emerges at night to feed, and beginning 

 at the extremity of the leaf consumes it evenly across until not enough is left for 

 shelter when it betakes itself to another and repeats the same process. Owing to 

 this peculiarity this species is easily discovered, as the bent and eaten leaf betrays 

 its presence. 



The egg is nearly spherical, rather smaller at top than at bottom, depressed 

 slightly at either end, ribbed vertically, pale green and one sixteenth of an inch 

 in diameter. It is usually laid uj^on the surface of a yoirag leaf, or, in case of the 

 hop upon one of the tendrils, near the extremity. The young larvae ajjpear in four 

 days, are one tenth of an inch long, black covered with short hairs, and like all 

 young larv« of butterflies, have the faculty of spinning threads whereby they at- 

 tach themselves to the leaf or break their fall in case of danger. As they become 

 older and can better adhere to the leaf no such aid is required, but whenever ne- 

 cessary for safety, as in a glass breeding cage, they will cover their path with a 

 web and walk securely as on a rough surface. 



When one-third grown these larvae are black, with dorsal and first lateral 

 rows of spines pale green more or less tipped with black, the second lateral row of 

 spines black tipped with wliite and the lowest, or infra-stigmatal row, entirely 

 white resting at base on greenish papillse; the head spines black; between the first 

 two lateral rows are narrow, transverse whitish strife; from base of each dorsal 

 spine fork greenish bars to anterior edge of the segment and similar bars start 

 from the base of each of the first laterals ; the spiracles oval, black within a white 



ring. 



At the next moult all the spines become white and at the base of the second 



