130 ZYG.ENID.'E AND BOMBYCIDjr, 



BOSIBYCIDS. 

 AUCTIIN^. 

 Genus SPILOSOMA. Stephens. 



Body parts stout ; wings ample. Head and thoracic parts clothed 

 with long hairs, obliterating the component parts. Head sunk in pro- 

 thorax, scarcely visible from above. Eyes large ; front long, rather 

 narrow, tapering. Antennre of moderate length, closely and evenly 

 bipectinate in 5 , serrated or simple in $ , each of the pectinations 

 terminating in a strong seta. Palpi exceeding the front, porrect, sub- 

 ascendant, hairy at the base; terminal joint short. Abdomen stout, 

 rather smooth, extending slightly beyond the hind wings. Legs stout, 

 femora hairy ; anterior tibiae with long curved spur, closely appressed ; 

 middle tibiie with two, hind tibiae with four spurs at or near the apex 

 of the joint. 



Anterior wings twice as long as broad ; co.sta nearly straight, apex 

 rounded ; outer margin hardly oblique, slightly rounded ; anal angle 

 rounded, ist subcostal nervule rises interior to the discal vein ; 2d 

 and 3d go to the costa, the latter furcate at the tip ; 4th continues from 

 the origin of 3d to the outer margin ; 5th arises on a short stalk at the 

 origin of the discal vein, which is strongly angulated. Origin of the 

 ist and 2d median nervules slightly removed from the 3d. 



Posterior wings full, with both the angles and the outer margin 

 rounded. Costa slightly convex. 



The colors of the genus are usually white or yellowish, with occa- 

 sionally a few small black or brown markings. It. has a wide geo- 

 graphical range. In America it is represented by four species, which 

 may be tabulated as follows : 



Anterior coxcc red. 



Wings immaculate, costa convex - - 6". Jatipennis. 



Wings spotted with black, costa straight - - S. vesialis. 



Anterior coxa; yellow. 



Wings white, a few black dots - - ^. virginica. 



Wings white, brown markings - - - S. cojigrtia. 



