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Nemeophila plantaginis, Zinn. 
By Davip Bruce. 
2 Brockport, N. Y. 
This species is rather common at Clear Creek and Platte Cafions, 
Colorado, at from 7,000 to 10,000 feet elevation, both sexes flying rather 
briskly by day in June and July. I obtained a few eggs from a worn 
female, and reared several broods in succession, carrying a number 
through hibernation. The parent female had yellow and black under- 
wings and of the bred examples I have almost every possible variation. 
Some have underwings entirely black ; some black with one white spot, 
with spot and band ; some with white underwings with black rays, and 
many with yellow instead of white: the markings and colorations of the 
upper wings are also as variable. Of course all this proves these are but 
one species, yet I have not seen any examples exactly like the typical 
form of VV. plan/aginis from Europe, the difference being about as per- 
ceptible as that between Lwprepia americana and E. caja. 
The eggs were light wax yellow and hatched in 8 days. The young 
larvae were dark gray, changing to jet black at first moult ; at third mou!t 
a brown dorsal patch appeared ; when full grown the larve were as fol- 
lows : Body velvety black, rather sparsely covered with spreading tufts 
of fine, stiff, yet silky hairs, springing from glittering steel-like tubercles, 
The head and hairs on the first three segments jet black. A cape-like 
patch of chestnut colored hairs covers the median third of back, formed 
by 6 tufts on 5th and 6th segments, 4 on 7th, and 2 on 8th, the rest of 
the body clothed with black hairs, becoming longer and more silky on 
the two posterior segments and a few long white hairs are mingled with 
them. The lower side of body is fringed with yellowish-brown hairs 
from two tufts on each segment along the spiracles. The pro-legs and 
underside of body livid, the true legs jet black. 
The larva fed by night, basking in the sun by day, when possible, 
and are the most lively and shy of my Arctian larve, dropping to the 
ground and quickly hiding if disturbed. They also have a trick of curl- 
ing themselves and suddenly springing open, thus jumping several inches 
off the food plant. When full-fed they crawled into the upper corners 
of the breeding cage or down into the moss indifferently, formed a very 
slight web, and pupated. Imago appearing in two weeks. I fed them 
on narrow-leaved plantain, that plant not dying down in the winter like 
the broad-leaved species. 
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