768 TIIK IJUTTKUrLlES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



nerviire terminatin.'r at or near the midcUe of the apex of the costal margin, sometimes 

 emitting upward from near the base a curved precostal shoot ; subcostal nervure with 

 three branches, itself not reaching the border, the third nervule connected at its base 

 by an exceedingly slender vein, such as closes the cell; median nervure with three 

 branches, itself not reaching the border; submedian nervui'e terminating at or just 

 witliout the anal angle; internal nervure terminating generally near the middle of the 

 inner margin. Fore legs of the female Ukc the other legs, although with less profuse 

 armature and with nalied tibial spines ; of the male shorter, and either the armature and 

 joints as in tlie female, excepting on the last joint, where all the apical armature is 

 wanting and in their place generally a single, triangular, slightly curving median hook ; 

 or the tarsi are one-joiuted and entirely devoid of armature. 



Eighth dorsal segment of male alxlomen entire on posterior margin, the upper organ 

 mesially cleft and the sides variously developed, but usually much expanded, with a 

 pair of slender, tapering, elbowed or strongly arcuate arms attached to the base, and 

 with no median hook; clasps forming .slender and elongated or else tapering blades, 

 sometimes bristled at the tip, the intermittent organ long and slender, often to au 

 excessive degree. 



Egg. Tiarate or oblate spheroidal in shape, more or less deeply and densely re- 

 ticulate, the angles of the reticulations often filamentous or spiny, the micropyle 

 frequently sunken in an abrupt pit. 



Caterpillar at birth. Head generally smaller, never larger than the succeeding 

 segments, smooth, generally with few liairs on the lower half and none on upper, the 

 posterior margin encroached on by the softer integument behind so as not to extend 

 behind tlie summit of the head in a downward curve. Body cylindrical or subcylin- 

 drical, generally largest anteriorly and tapering from the very front backward, fur- 

 nished witli long, longitudinally ranged, tapering, spiculiferous, cuticular appendages, 

 sometimes as long as tlie body, and with a larger or smaller number of longitudinally 

 ranged, larger or smaller chitiuous annuli or smooth lenticular elevations. First and 

 last body segments, and sometimes others, with a corneous dorsal shield. 



Mature caterpillar. Head smaller, generally much smaller, than the body, oblique, 

 the mouth being thrust forward, with only few hairs on minute papillae, without 

 tubercles or spines, with scarcely any or no posterior contractions of the cranium, 

 often completely retractile within the segment behind. Body oniscif orm or subonis- 

 ciform, never elongate, often long-ovate, the sides sometimes tectiform, furnished 

 with longer or shorter pile, among which are sometimes longer, longitudinally ranged, 

 hairs or bristles; never spined, but occasionally furnished with fleshy or filamentous 

 processes longitudinally arranged or confined to the first thoracic or eighth abdominal 

 segments. Legs and prolegs generally short. 



Chrysalis. Fastened by a silken girth around the middle and by cremastral hooks 

 to a silken pad at the tail, in almost any position, but with the head never lower or 

 much lower than the tail and always in close embrace of the surface*. With rare 

 possible exceptions (Bar), never enclosed in more of a cell than the loose attachment 

 of the flaring edges of a leaf might give. Short, stout, compact, rounded, with no 

 angular and few rounded prominences, in front bluntly rounded, though sometimes 

 feebly emarginate, the ventral surface almost perfectly flat; head wholly upon the 

 ventral surface, invisible from above; prothorax large. 



General characteristics of the family. This family is far more 

 richly developed in tlie tropics — especially in those of the New World — 

 than in the temperate zones. In the north temperate regions of the Old 

 World, liowever, it forms a very considerable proportion of the butterfly 



• A few instances are known among tlie position (generally, perhaps always) very 

 membcrsof the higher subfamily in which the similar to what they would have if closely 

 chrysalis is held without a girlh, in a rigid girt. 



