33G LEPIDOPTERA. 



The Glaucopidians,* so named from the glaucous or bluish- 

 green color of some of the species, are distinguished from 

 the other Sphinges by their antennge, which, in the males 

 at least, and sometimes in both sexes, ai'e feathered, or 

 ftii-nished on each side with little slender branches, parallel 

 to each other like the teeth of a comb. In scientific works 

 such antenna? are called pectinated, from pecten^ the Latin 

 for coml). 



The caterpillars of the Glaucopidians have sixteen feet, 

 are slender, and cylindrical, with a few hairs scattered 

 generally over the surface of the body, or arranged in 

 little tufts arising from minute Avarts, and are without a 

 horn on the hinder extremity. They devour the leaves 

 of plants, and make for themselves cocoons of coarse silk, 

 in which they undergo their transformations. The chrysa- 

 lids are oblong oval, rounded at one end, tapering at the 

 other, and are not provided with transverse rows of teeth 

 on the surface of the body. In the caterpillar and winged 

 states, in the nature of their transformations, and in their 

 habits, these insects approach very closely to the Phalceyice^ 

 or moths, forming the third division of Lepidopterous in- 

 sects, among which they are arranged by some naturalists. 

 There are not many of them in Massachusetts, and only 

 one species requii*es to be noticed here.f 



This is the Procris Americana (Fig. 1<)3), a small moth 

 ^. T^o of a blue-black color, with a safifron- 



Fig. 1C3. ' 



^_ I I ^ colored collar, and a notched tuft on 



^^^^UBU^HPr the extremity of the body. The wings, 

 "^^^BY^^^ which are very narrow, expand neaidy 

 ^ one inch. This little insect is the 



American representative of the Procris vitis or ampelopJiaga 

 of Europe, which, in the caterpillar state, sometimes proves 

 very injurious to the grape-vine. The habits of our spe- 

 cies are exactly the same ; but have been overlooked, or 



* See additional observations on page 319. 



t For tlie otlier species see Sillinian's Journal, Vol. XXXVI. pp. 315 to 319. 



