THE TIGER-MOTHS. 



that tliey sometimes make great devastation among young 

 Indian corn in the Southern States. 



A much more abundant species in Massachusetts is that 

 which lias been called the harnessed moth, Aretia 2^^Mlerata 

 (Fig. IGG) of my Catalogue. 

 It makes its appearance from 

 the end of ^lay to the middle 

 of August, and probably breeds 

 throughout the "whole summ^'r. 

 It is of a pale buff or nankin 

 color ; the hind wings next to 

 the body, and the sides of the body, are reddish ; on the fore 

 wings are two longitudinal black stripes and four triangular 

 black spots, the latter placed near the tip ; and these stripes 

 and spots are arranged so that the buif-colored spaces be- 

 tween them somewhat resemble horse-harness ; the hind 

 wings have several black spots near the margin; there are 

 two dots on the collar, three stripes on the thorax, and a 

 stripe along the top of the back, of a black color ; the under 

 side of the body and the legs are also black. The wings ex- 

 pand from one inch and a half to one inch and three quar- 

 ters. The caterpillar is not yet known to me. This moth, 

 in many respects, resembles one called PhylUra* by Drury, 

 rarely found here, but abundant in the Southern States ; the 

 fore wings of which are black, with one longitudinal line, two 

 transverse lines, and near the tip two zigzag lines forming a 

 W, of a buff color. 



The feelers and ton^ie of the foregoing moths, though 

 short, are longer than in the following species, which have 

 these parts, as well as the head, smaller and more covered 

 with hairs. Some of the latter may be said to occupy the 

 centre or chief place among the Arctians, exceeding all the 

 rest in the breadth of their wings, the thickness of their 

 bodies, and the richness of their colors. Among these is 

 the great American tiger-moth, Aretia Americana^ an undc- 



* Jlore ijroperly Phlhjra. 



