44 



by one not an entomologist, for they have Httle of the appearance 

 of ordinary species. They are rather repulsive, slug-like, and in 

 the present species boat-like larv£e. The general color is green, 

 with spots of brown. The under side is light colored. The moth 

 is a very neatly marked tan colored or reddish brown insect, with 

 a darker brown semi-heart-shaped patch on the upper side of each 

 front wing, bordered by a light line. The larva feeds upon the 

 leaves of fruit trees and several others, including the elm. 



Figure 33. 



Limdcodes scapha, Pack . 

 Moth. Larva. 



Figure 33 shows this moth, and the curiously shaped larva, 

 natural size. 



Seirodonta bilineata^ Pack, is reported as feeding upon the 

 elm and buttonwood. Harris, Ent. Correspondence, p. 301. 



The larvae of several of our large moths feed upon the elm at 

 times, but they cannot ordinarily be considered as very trouble- 

 some, for they are rarely so numerous as to do much mischief, and 

 their great size, though this causes them to eat voraciously, yet 

 makes them so conspicuous that they are liable to be seized by 

 birds before they attain maturity. One of the largest is the 



POLYPHEMUS MOTH. 



Idea polyphemus. Cram. The larv^a of this great moth is not 

 very uncommon, and it has been tried as a silk producer, but with- 

 out success. It makes silk enough, but it tannot be wound off and 

 utilized. A brief account of this insect must suffice. When mature 

 it is three or four inches long, of a rather delicate green color, with 

 oblique white stripes on the sides. The moth is five or more inches 

 across the wings, which are in general of a russet brown shading 

 to yellowish. Near the center of each wing is an oval transparent 

 spot very conspicuous on the hind wings, where it is surrounded 

 by a black and yellow line. Near the eye spot on the hind wings 

 is a large, beautiful blue spot. About the lower edge of the hind 



