Agaristidae 



of the Old World and the New reckon in their number some 

 of the most resplendently colored insects found upon the globe. 

 They are regarded as being an offshoot of the Noctuidae. 



The following description of the characteristics of the 

 family is adapted from Hampson with reference to the forms 

 found within our faunal limits: 



'Proboscis fully developed; palpi upturned and well devel- 

 oped, the third joint usually naked and porrect; frons with a 

 rounded, conical, or corneous process; antennae cylindrical, 

 almost simple, with slight bristles at the joints, not ciliated, 

 and more or less distinctly dilated toward the extremity. 

 Ocelli present; eyes sometimes hairy; tibial spurs well devel- 

 oped, the tibiae rarely spined; the male claspers often very 

 large; wings large and strongly formed. Fore wing with vein 

 \a separate from ib; \c absent; 5 from or from close to angle 

 of cell; the areole present in nearly all the genera. Hind wing 

 with vein la present; \c absent; 5 obsolescent from angle of 

 discocellulars; 6, 7 from upper angle or shortly stalked; 8 free 

 at base, then bent downward to anastomose with the cell at a 

 point only. All the species have silvery blue scales on the 

 fore wings. 



The larvas are noctuiform and have all the prolegs present. 

 The pupa is naked.' 



Genus COPIDRYAS Grote 



Two species belonging to this genus occur within the 

 limits of the United States. We give illustrations of both of them. 



(i) Copidryas gloved Grote & Robin- 

 son, Plate XVII, Fig. 11, 6. (Glover's 

 Purslane-moth.) 



The life-history of this rather pretty 

 moth has been well worked out by 

 Professor C. V. Riley and from his article 

 published in " Insect Life/' Vol. I, p. 104, 

 we have taken the cuts which are here- Fig. 78.— Egg of Co- 

 with given. The drawings of the tgg, ^^'^''^'^LtrTed.^"''''' 

 pupa, and cocoon were made by Mr. C. 

 L. Marlatt. The excellent account given by Professor Riley is 

 drawn upon for the following quotations: "The eggs are laid 



141 



