INSECTS INJURING OAK-LEAVES. 



143 



to the Study of Insects, on which our description was based.) From 

 specimens of P. gloverii it seems to differ in the hind wings being less 

 rounded, more produced towards the apex. They ap- 

 pear to be of nearly the same size. 



Moth. — Male entirely deep smoky black. Aatenuse plumose. 

 Wings ample, closely scaled, rounded aud full. Nenratioii of pri- 

 maries: costal nervure simple ; slight, joining the costa before the 

 apex : S. c. nervure throwing off first and second s. c. nervules from 

 its upper side on to the costal margin ; third s. c. nervule at the up- 

 per extremity of the discal cell furcate, throwing off the fourth s. 

 c. nervule from its lower side on to the apex; fifth simple, thrown 

 off from a short transverse stem on to the external margin ; discal 

 cell equilateral, longitudinally cordate, not closed by a true vein, 

 but by a vein-like fold depressedly medially angulated; a slight crease in the 

 membrane divides the cell into two equal parts, ruuniug from the point of angu- 

 lation of the fold, closing the cell to the base of the wing; median nervure four 

 brauched, first median thrown off upon external margin from a point opposite the 

 fifth 8. c. nervule ; internal nervure sending off au angulated nervule from its upper 

 side, at about its center, to internal angle ; the nervure itself joins the margin before 

 the angle, and is straight. The male cocoonet with agglutinated fragments of con- 

 iferous plants, and with the extruded skin of the chrysalis after the escape of the 

 male moth, accompanied a number of specimens of this species received from the 

 South. Expanse of wings, male 19'"™. Length of body, 7'"'". (Grote and Rob.) 



Fig. 47.— Case of 

 Psyche confederata 

 (after Grote). 



197. The eight-flapped slug-worm. 



Phobetrum pithecimn (Abbot and Smith). 



Order Lepidoptera ; Family Bombycid.e. 



A singular dark-brown short, broad, ovate, flattened caterpillar, with eight long^ 

 tongue-like, slender, fleshy lateral appendages, sometimes feeding on the oak. 



This singular caterpillar, usually found on the plum, cherry, and 

 apple, changes to a brown moth with very narrow wings. In the male 

 the antennae are very broadly pectin, 

 ated, and the remarkably long nar- 

 row fore wings are partly transparent. 

 Mr. Lintner has bred it from the oak, 

 and Mr. S. Lowell Elliott tells me that 

 it is almost exclusively an oak-feeder 

 though occurring on the wild cherry 

 and chestnut. The following ac- 

 count is copied from Mr. Hubbard's 

 " Orange Inse ts." 



This insect receives its name from the curious hairy appendages which cover the 

 back and project from the sides of the larva, and have a backward twist, like locks 

 of disheveled hair. These are, in fact, fleshy hooks, covered with feathery, brown 

 hairs, among which are longer, black, stinging hairs. The cocoon is almost spherical, 

 like that of the Saddle-back caterpillar, and is defended by the hairy appendages 

 which the larva in some way contrives to leave upon the outside. These tufts give 

 to the bullet-shaped cocoon a very nondescript appearance, and the stinging hairs 

 afford a very perfect protection against birds and other insectivorous animals. 



Fig. 48 —P. pilhecium (after Riley) ; A, co- 

 coon — natural size (after Hubbard). 



