166 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



orange, spotted with vivid black. When in motion a rich, velvet-black stripe appears 

 two-thirds of an inch from the head. (Harris.) 



Cocoon. — Like soft, brown-gray paper in texture; one and one-half inches long 

 and half an inch wide ; bordered on all sides by a loose web ; oval ; convex above and 

 perfectly flat and very thin beneath. 



Moth. — A large stout-bodied moth, white with a large, high tuft of long, metallic, 

 brown scales along the thorax ; wings short and broad, rounded at the apex with two 

 basal bauds and a broad, slightly curved submargiual dusky band, interrupted by 

 the white veins; hind wings gray with a white border on which are two interrupted 

 gray lines. Males with broadly feathered antennae, and expanding 1^ to If inches, 

 while the females are much larger, the wings expanding 2i to 2J inches. 



The followiug species of Noctuidse are tbuud on oaks of different 

 species: 



222. Charadra deridens (Guen.). 



This white hairy caterpillar occurred on the oak August 28. It was 

 first reared by Dr. Liutner (Oontr. iii, 157), iu New York, and Septem- 

 ber 16 made a thin cocoon between the leaves. 



The caterpillar also inhabits the elm and birch and spins a cocoon 

 late in August iu a case between two leaves; the eggs were, as ob- 

 served by Mr. Thaxter, laid July 4, singly or in rows on the under 

 side of a leaf, the caterpillar hatching July 11, molting six times, the 

 last time August 6. 



Egg. — Flattened, ribbed, whitish. 



Larva. — When hatched, light green, on segm ents 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, respectively, a large, 

 roundish, red sub-dorsal spot. Head large, tinged with brown ; body tapering con- 

 siderably posteriorly, and sparingly clothed with long colorless hairs. Length 2.5™™. 

 (Thaxter, Papilio iii, 11.) 



Larva before last molt. — Head white, rounded, a broad jet-black transverse patch 

 on the front above the apex of the clypeus ; the latter edged with black, forming a 

 black triangle connecting below with a black stripe on each side of base of labrum; 

 the latter black-brown, body cylindrical, rather short and thick ; sutures deep ; head 

 not so wide as the prothorax, the latter rather full and large, longer but not so wide 

 as the meso-segment, and with a yellowish- white tinge like the head. Rest of the 

 body white, with a very slight greenish tinge, with small tubercles concolorous with 

 the body, from which radiate fascicles of long white fine hairs of unequal length half 

 as long as the body. Length 21"i™; thickness 5 to 6™™. 



Full-fed larva. — After the last molt the head is jet black in front, except along 

 back of vertex, which is white, and sends a median line between the two large black 

 patches. In front are three triangular whitish patches, one on the clypeus, and a 

 longer one on each side. In front black, face black, labrum white. Body dull white, 

 tinged with pale glaucous-green, with very long white hairs arising from small white 

 ■warts. Length 38™™. 



Moth. — Fore wings broad, subtriangular, a little prolonged at the apex, of an ashy 

 white washed with yellow, with several waved blackish lines; those of the middle of 

 the wing more marked, one from the costa passing backward, forming a great JJ and 

 containing iu its middle a round dot pupilled with brown; the other contiguous and 

 opposed to that oi the internal border, containing in the middle the base of the me- 

 dian shade, and having the external side formed at the expense of the angulated 

 line. This last lunulated, followed by a similar line near the submargiual. At the 

 end of the discoidal cell is a blackish spot, and under the costa, before the upper U 

 a mark of the same color. Hind wings rounded, white on the edges, with marginal 

 lunules; antennae short, well feathered. Palpi short, externally brown, with the 

 last joint white. Expanse of wings 40™™. (Guen^e.) 



