776 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



100. The pine pheocyma. 

 Pheocyma lunifera HiibDer. 



The caterpillar of this noctuid moth is of frequent occurrence on pine 

 trees, especially the white pine and pitch pine in Maine, where I have 

 observed it for several years. In northern New England the larva 

 occurs through August into the first week of September, when it trans- 

 forms into a chrysalis, the moth appearing May 10. I am indebted to 

 Prof. John B. Smith for the identification of the species. 



The caterpillar is, like nearly all those which live on trees, protected 

 from the observation of its enemies, such as birds, ichneumons, etc., 

 by its similarity in color to the bark of the twigs on which it often 

 rests, while the reddish stripes are concolorous with the base of the 

 needles of the pine. 



The caterpillars vary a good deal. Some are wood or horn brown, 

 or the body is decidedly reddish, with the longitudinal band more dis- 

 tinct than usual ; some are green with white lines, but the warts and 

 head as in the more usual varieties. They are closely similar to the 

 larvae of Homoptera and Catocala. 



Larva. — Body long and slender, tapering considerably behind the fourth pair of 

 abdominal legs. Head not so wide as the body, rather deeply bilobed, with a lateral 

 V-shaped white spot. A pair of small prominent tubercles on top of the eighth ab- 

 dominal segment, and in place of them on the segments is a pair of more widely 

 divergent short black dashes ; on the segment next to the last is a transverse ridge. 

 Anal legs long and slender. General color of the body wood or horn brown, of the 

 shade of old twigs, sometimes reddish or greenish. Head marbled with a set of 

 transverse wavy whitish lines on each side of the median line. Body with a lateral 

 row of black dots ; beneath much paler, glaucous green. Length, 35™™. The larvae 

 are very variable ; in some the body is reddish with longitudinal bands much more 

 distinct than usual ; in some the body is pale pea-green, a little paler than the pine 

 leaves ; there is a firm, quite wide medio-dorsal line, and on the sides a wider white 

 line next to the broader very conspicuous pale red spiracular line, which is similar 

 in color to the reddish sheath of the pine leaf. Head reddish, with the characteristic 

 oval white spots on each side. In others (as pitch pine) the body is beautifully mar- 

 bled with gray and whitish. A V-shaped white spot on the side of the head. On 

 the segment next to the last abdominal are two small inconspicuous warts. A 

 faint, broad, grayish-white dorsal band, broadly interrupted at the sutures of the 

 segments by an irregular transverse umber-brown stripe. A faint lateral broad band, 

 containing on the side of each segment a clear white point. Length, 42™™. 



Pupa. — Of the usual rather slender Catocala shape, covered with a slight whitish 

 bloom. The abdominal tip rather blunt, the surface corrugated with irregular longi- 

 tudinal furrows above and on the sides ; spine small, bearing at the end two very 

 large, long, stout bristles curved outwards at the ends, which are blunt ; at their 

 base are two pairs of slender bristles. Length, 17™'". 



Moth. — Body and wings dark ash-gray and reddish brown ; thorax crested, dark 

 reddish brown, with two blackish transverse lines. Patagia with a white stripe be- 

 hind the middle and white scales at the tip ; hinder part of the thorax dusted with 

 white. Fore wings black and reddish brown at base, with interrupted and broken 

 black and white lines. Within the middle of the wing is a broad, slightly sinuous 

 whitish-gray band. A large black mark forming a hollow square, the hollow gray- 

 ish, at the end of the discal space. Beyond this spot are two nearly parallel black 



