Americana 



VOL. II. 



BROOKLYN, JUNE, 1886. 



NO. 3. 



Notes on two larvae of the genus Catocala. 



By I). S. Kellicott. 



C. obscura. The larva of this species feeds on the leaves of the shag- 

 bark Hickory, C. alba, and in habit agrees very closely with other de- 

 scribed species of the genus; it is, apparently, a night- feeder, concealing 

 itself by day at rest under the loosened bark of the tree upon the leaves 

 of which it feeds at night. July 5, 1883, at Pulaski, N. Y. , larvae were 

 taken from beneath the bark of the hickory, and from these, two imagos 

 were obtained. Two sizes were thus obtained on that day: one, evidently 

 soon after its last larval moult, measured 1.6 in., width of head . 17 in., 

 of eighth and ninth rings .2 in.; the smaller ones were 1.1 in. long, they 

 moulted July 19, when they were 1.5 in. long and precisely similar to 

 the larger size when taken July 5th. 



The head is somewhat flattened, reticulated with coarse, uneven 

 lines and a heavy black stripe extends along the lateral borders from the 

 articulation of the mandibles half way to the apex of head lobes. In 

 this character it closely resembles the larva of C. retecta which likewise 

 feeds on the hickory, The antennae are long, slender and white. 



The color of the skin is dark gray, much darker than in retecta. 

 The piliferous spots which are arranged nearly at the corners of a rectangle 

 are large and light colored; these are larger than usual in rings live and 

 twelve, otherwise. there are no humps; there are no lateral fringes as in 

 Ultronia and Unijuga. The dorsal line is very obscure; there are on 

 rings five, nine and ten, irregular black crosses; the stigmatal line distinct 

 and black. The stigmata are of the usual shape, the long axis, how- 

 ever, leans slightly forwards, rings black, white within. The ventral 

 surface is pinkish with black spots in the abdominal rings except eight 

 and nine. The color of smaller specimens yellowish gray. One larva 



