132 ZYG.ENID.E AND BOMBYCID.E 



p. 287. " Body cylindical, tuberculated, above straw colored with a 

 lateral black line connected with transverse dorsal ones dividing the 

 segments. Tubercles straw colored with black points and bundles of 

 divaricating, pale straw colored hairs intermingled with a few black 

 ones. Tubercles twelve on each segment, four dorsal and four lateral 

 on each side, the lowest three approximated and situated beneath the 

 stigma, which last is also beneath the lateral black lines, and just 

 above the lateral fold. This fold is of a pale sulphureous color. 

 Body beneath, and intermediate prolegs black. Head, feet, and 

 prolegs and tips of the others pale ochreous. The tubercles are not 

 situated in one transverse line, but of the dorsal ones the two upper 

 are in front of the others ; the upper lateral tubercle is above and in 

 front of the spiracle, and the three under ones beneath and behind it. 

 The hairs are of moderate length, and all barbed. Some larvae of a 

 dark rust color, with chestnut colored hairs also produced the same 

 insect. ? .?" 



Cocoon of silk interwoven with hairs. All the hairs are not used, so 

 that the larva appears to be clothed with a few short ones. Riley 

 says that but little silk is used in its construction, and that the hairs 

 are held in place chiefly by their numerous barbs. 



Pupa. — " Chestnut brown, darker behind. Three dilated furrows 

 surround the middle of the posterior half Tail blunt conic, termin- 

 ated by a number of straight adminicula, abruptly ending in a hook 

 at their apices.' 



These larvae, popularly known as " Yellow bears,"' feed on a great 

 variety of plants. Harris mentions the plantain, and Riley enumer- 

 ates the grape-vine, butternut, lilac, beans, peas, convolvulus, corn, 

 currant, gooseberry, cotton, sunflower, verbenas, geranium, etc., and 

 that they are even carnivorous. The last author also states that there 

 are two broods each year, the broods intermixing, and the last passing 

 the winter in the chrysalis state. The imago appears on the wing 

 from May to August, and is one of the commonest species. (Riley 

 and Harris.) 



While this insect is undoubtedly most at home east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, I have one imperfect specimen taken in California by Mr. 

 Lorquin, which I am unable to separate by any good specific charac- 

 ters from the insect under consideration. Its imperfect condition does 

 not admit of a sadsfactory comparison, but it differs principally in the 

 number of spots on the posterior wings, where the anal and apical 

 dots have each a supplementary dot, faintly visible above but clearly 



