— 1«4— 



gans of the abdomen arc crowded into the terminal segments, leaving the 



2nd and 31x1 hollow. The stigmata opening into these segments are 

 large and distinct. 



Completely softening a specimen and detaching the abdomen, I 

 flexed it so that the cavities were opened, and then inserting a tube into 

 the upper portion of the segment, having first punctured the septum di- 

 viding segments 2 and 3 superiorly, I found that I could distend the 

 fine membrane lining the lower cavity, causing it to present the appear- 

 ance shown at fig. 5, in section, and in fig. 3 in profile. 



It is very probable that the insect has the power of voluntarily flex 

 ing the abdomen, and thus opening the cavities, and also of inflating 

 the membrane to protrude this silky substance, which a breath of air 

 would then dilate, and this pure white substance contrasting with the 

 deep black venter and bright red thorax and legs must present a very 

 pretty appearance. The obvious explanation of this structure would 

 seem to be that the display made would prove attractive to the female 

 and the insect might strut about, exhibiting itself like a peacock or a 

 turkey gobbler. There is however one difficulty in the way of this ex- 

 planation. The attachment of the cottony pad to the membrane is so 

 exceedingly slight, that the faintest puff of air, or a mere touch with a 

 fine needle detaches it, and it seems scarcely possible that once displayed 

 it could ever again be retracted and packed away into place. This would 

 seem to indicate that the display would also mean the loss of the sub- 

 stance, and yet every male I have been able to find in collections, appear- 

 ed to have this pad intact and all of them had the cavities tightly closed 

 as well. Then too, it would seem likely that such a display would have 

 been noticed, for these insects are not uncommon. Mr. Hubbard says 

 tney are quit abundant in sunny spots in the woods near Crescent City, 

 Fla., and he will try to observe them more carefully. It would be well 

 if all Entomologists in the regions where this insect is found would try 

 to observe its habits closely. 



The genital structure allies the insect closely to some families of the 

 Bombycidae. The supra-anal plate is broad and corneous, narrowing to- 

 ward tip, where the sides are produced into moderately long acute hooks, 

 bent outwards, and the points downward; while the middle is modified 

 into a broad, rather short hook with rounded tip, bent downward. The 

 side pieces are broad, chitinous and inwardly concave at base, suddenly 

 narrowing halfway to tip and produced into a long, corneous, curved 

 hook. Fig. 7 will show the appearance of these organs from below, 

 giving the names of the parts; The central, narrow plate is the sheath 

 of penis. 



The venation is shown at fig. 1. The primaries are twelve-veined. 



