500 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



green at base, marked with black and reddish. Spiracles very conspicuous ; pro- 

 thoracic one large and black, first abdominal black, the rest orange. 



The body tapers towards the tail ; pale green, wrinkled above. A broad dorsal, 

 longitudinal band, with a median fine green line which ends in a red streak on supra- 

 anal plate. Lateral line folded and large, interrupted and marked irregularly with 

 purple on the thoracic segments. 



Length, 22""", August 15 to 18, 1882 ; observed at Brunswick, Me. 



49. Brephoa infans Moschler. 



In this case I depart from my usual rule uot to mention any insect 

 unless positively known to feed on the tree stated, since there is so 

 strong presumptive evidence that the larva of this beautiful moth feeds 

 on the birch in this country as well as in Europe. 1 observed it flying 

 among birches at Cambridge, Mass., early in the spring ot 1862 or 1863. 

 I quote the following summary of its habits, published by Mrs. Dim- 

 mock in Psyche (iv, p. 273) : 



Brephos infans Moschler (Wien. entom. monatsschr.. Mar. 1862, vol. 0, p. 134-136, 

 pi. 1, fig. 6). Harris (Entom. corrosp., 1869, pi. 1, tig. 4) figures the imago of this 

 species. Lintner (Entom. contrib., No. 4, 1878, p. 227-229) gives notes upon the 

 habits of the imago which render it almost certain that the larva feeds upon Betula. 

 The larvae of the European species of this genus feed upon Betula alba, the larva of 

 Brephos parthenias living between leaves that it spins together upon high twigs. 

 The imagos of iJ. infans are not rare about Betula alba, extremely early in the spring, 

 both in eastern and western Massachusetts. 



.50. Catocala relicta Walk. 



The subjoined summary of what is known of the habits of this moth 

 is copied directly from Mrs. Dim mock's article on birch insects, in 

 Psyche (iv, p. 273). 



Catocala relicta Walk. (List. Lep. ins. Brit, mus., 1H57, pt. 13, p. 1192, 1193). Bunker 

 (Can. entom., May, 1883, vol. l.S, p. 100) states that Populus is the favorite food-plant 

 of the larva of this species. Hulst (Bull. Brooklyn entom. soc, July, 1884, vol. 7, p. 

 48) says "Food-plant, white birch and silver poplar; and probably all species of 

 Betula and Popuhis." The same author (/. c, June, 1884, vol. 7, p. 15-16) gives struc- 

 tural characters and habits of the larvie of Catocala. The European C. fraxina, re- 

 garded by some authors to be a synonym of C. relicta, feeds, as larva, on Populus, 

 Betula, Acer, Ulmus, Quercus, and Fraxinus. C. relicta has been reared by C. Dim- 

 mock, in Springfield, Mass., from a full-grown larva taken under circumstances which 

 made it almost certain that its food-plant was Acer. 



51. Noctuid? or NoiodontidI larva. 



This caterpillar occurred on the white or paper birch, near the sum- 

 mit of Thorn Mountain, Jackson, N. H. It was mistaken for a folded 

 leaf, and was feeding conspicuously on the tree. 



Larva. — Body very thick and soft, tapering rapidly towards the small anal legs, 

 which are about half the size of the others, the eud of the body being often held 

 straight out. Head large, but not so broad as the prothoracic segment; pale green 

 like the rest of the body, with four longitudinal white bands, the outer ones extend- 

 ing nearly to the base of the antenn;c ; from and including the eyes a broad reddish 

 white patch, and a similar patch on the side of the prothoracic segment, and a much 

 larger one on the side of the mesothoracic segment. Body pale pea-green, nearly the 



