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Nemeophila plantaginis, Linn. 



By David Bruce. 



Brockpoit, N. Y. 



This species is rather common at Clear Creek and Platte Caiiuns, 

 Colorado, at from 7,000 to 10,000 feet elevation, both sexes flying rather 

 briskly by day in June and July. I obtained a few eggs from a worn 

 female, and reared several broods in succession, carrying a number 

 through hibernation. The parent female had yellow and black under- 

 wings and of the bred examples I have almost every possible variation. 

 Some have underwings entirely black ; some black with one white spot, 

 with spot and band ; some with white underwings with black rays, and 

 many with yellow instead of white : the markings and colorations of the 

 upper wings are also as variable. Of course all this proves these are but 

 one species, yet I have not seen any examples exactly like the typical 

 form of A'^ plantaginis from Europe, the difference being about as per 

 ceptible as that between Euprepia americana and E. caja. 



The eggs were light wax yellow and hatched in 8 days. The young 

 larva; were dark gray, changing to jet black at first moult ; at third moult 

 a brown dorsal patch appeared ; when full grown the larvae were as fol- 

 lows : Body velvety black, rather sparsely covered with spreading tufts 

 of fine, stiff, yet silky hairs, springing from glittering steel-like tubercles. 

 The head and hairs on the first three segments jet black. A cape-like 

 patch of chestnut colored hairs covers the median third of back, formed 

 by 6 tufts on 5th and 6th segments, 4 on 7th, and 2 on 8th, the rest of 

 the body clothed with black hairs, becoming longer and more silky on 

 the two posterior segments and a few long white hairs are mingled with 

 them. The lower side of body is fringed with yellowish-brown hairs 

 from two tufts on each segment along the spiracles. The pro-legs and 

 underside of body livid, the true legs jet black. 



The larva fed by night, basking in the sun by day, when possible, 

 and are the most lively and shy of my Arctian larvce, dropping to the 

 ground and quickly hiding if disturbed. They also have a trick of curl- 

 ing themselves and suddenly springing open, thus jumping several inches 

 off the food plant. When full-fed they crawled into the upper corners 

 of the breeding cage or down into the moss indifierently, formed a very 

 slight web, and pupated. Imago appearing in two weeks. I fed them 

 on narrow-leaved plantain, that plant not dying down in the winter like 

 the broad-leaved species. 



