202 Fiftieth Report on the State Museum 



The imago. — The moth is a plain appearing reddish-gray or fawn col- 

 ored insect with a spread of wing, averaging about one inch and one-half. 

 The fore-wing has two large ill-defined spots of a slightly lighter color 

 anterior to its center; behind the outer one, is the small character- 

 istic white spot indistincriy bordered with black. There is a faindy 

 indicated oblique line from the apex to near the outer third of the hind 

 margin of the wing, of which only the portion of the line near the apex 

 is continuous, the remainder being represented by dots. The tips of the 

 veins are usually indigated by black, and the whole surface of the wing 

 is slightly and variably specked with the same. The outer portions of 

 the hind wing is a uniform dark gray ; the basal portion lighter. Fringe 

 with a grayish, silvery luster. Beneath, the wings are a silvery gray. 

 The moth is shown in Plate III, figures a, b and c. 



Life-history and Habits. 



The life-history and habits of this, at times, very destructive insect are 

 of the utmost importance in preventing its ravages or in checking it after 

 the destructive work of the larvas becomes apparent. Most, if not all, 

 of its demonstrations are characterized by the sudden discovery of large 

 numbers of caterpillars rapidly destroying the crops, and usually when 

 thus discovered, it is too late to prevent serious loss. The num_ber of 

 broods in a year is controlled largely by the length of the season in con- 

 nection with an abundance of suitable food. In the North there are but 

 two or three generations in a year, while in the South, it is stated that as 

 many as six may occur. The insect may pass the winter, in the northern 

 portion of its range, either as moths or larvae, and possibly in the pupal 

 stage; in the southern portion, it may exceptionally hibernate in the egg. 



The habits of the imago. — The moths may be seen on the wing in the 

 early evening hours or during the day in cloudy weather. The flight is 

 usually near the ground and is accompanied by a low humming sound, 

 similar to, but less intense than that of the hawk-moths, it is strong, 

 irregular, and plunging. They are probably capable of long-sustained 

 flights, as on one occasion when they were swarming in houses in the 

 vicinity of the Atlantic coast, fishermen reported a great cloud of the 

 moths over their boat out at sea. 



Their food is quite varied : they have been taken on the blossoms of 

 apple-trees, on honeysuckle, soap-wort [Saponaria officinalis)., and yucca. 

 In August of the present year they were attracted in great numbers 

 to the red berries of the Tartarian honeysuckle [Lonicera Tartarica), 

 in Washington park, Albany, upon which they fed, either by puncturing 



