58 HYPONOMEUTID.E. 



Not uncommon in July ; the gregarious larva feeds on haW' 

 thorn in June. 



Genus III. HYPONOMEUTA. (pf.Tll 







Hyponomeuta/ Zell. Isis, 1844. p. 199. I'ponomeuta, Step.; Dup. 

 Ni/gmht, Hiib. Yponomeida p., Lat. ; Trcit. Erminea p., Haw. 



Capilli depress!. Ocelli nuUi. Palpi labiales breviusculi, reflexi, _///- 

 formes, suhacnti. Haustellum mediocre, w/«//r«?.. Alse clongata?, bre- 

 viter ciliatac ; posteriores foveola Injalhm basali. Ala) anteriores : 

 vena apicalis simplex ; cellula sccuiularia perj'ecta ; vena subdorsalis 

 fiu'cata ; posteriores : ccUula costalis in medio contracta ; vena me- 

 diana bifida. 



Head smooth (in a single continental species, //. riifimifrellns, Zcll., 

 rough). Ocelli none. Labial palpi rather short, reflexed, filiform, 

 hardly imnted. Tongue of moderate length, naked. Wings elongate, 

 with short cilia ; the posterior wiih a Injaline patch at the base. In the 

 anterior wings, the apical vein is simple ; the secondary cell is com- 

 plete; the subdorsal vein furcate. In the posterior wings, the costal 

 cell is contracted in the middle ; the median vein is bifid. 



The perfect insects of this genus are readily known by tlie nu- 

 merous small black spots on the white or grey anterior wings ; 

 their flight is sluggish. Only one species, //. vi(jlntipu)ictatus, is 

 double-brooded ; of all the others there is only one brood each 

 year. This is fortunate; for the gregarious habits of the larvas, and 

 their numbers, render them extremely destructive to our fruit- 

 trees and hedges. A spindle-tree or an apple-tree, stripped of its 

 leaves in the middle of summer, and covered with white webs 

 formed by these larvro, is no uncommon sight. The larvae of most 

 of the species are hatched in the autumn, but remain under a glu- 

 tinous covering during the winter, ami do not commence their de- 

 predations till the appearauce of the young leaves in spring, when 

 a sudden LligH changes the face of vegetation, or in other words 

 these larvfic ([uit their winter- f[uarters, having been fixed through- 

 out the winter on the very same twigs where their ravages now 

 become so conspicuous. The larvae remain in company during 

 the whole period of their existence, and spin their cocoons in close 

 proximity with each other. 



Much confusion has prevailed with the synonymy of two of tlic 

 species of this genus, Linnffius having described the larva of one 

 s})ccies, naming the insect from its habits, whereas the ])erfect 

 insect he describes is a distinct species; it therefore becomes an 



