144 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



Unlike the preceding species, the Hag-moth larvae do not seek to hide away their 

 cocoons, but attach them to leaves and twigs fully exposed to view, with, however, 

 such artful management as to surroundings and harmonizing colors that they are of 

 all the group the most difficult to discover. A device to which this insect frequently 

 resorts exhibits the extreme of instinctive sagacity. If the caterpillar can not find 

 at hand a suitable place in whic h to weave its cocoon it frequently makes for itself 

 more satisfactory surroundings by killing the leaves, upon which, after they have 

 become dry and brown in color, it places its cocoon. 



Several of these caterpillars unite together, and selecting a long and vigorous im- 

 mature shoot or leader of the orange tree they kill it by cutting into its base until it 

 wilts and bends over. 



The leaves of a young shoot, in drying, turn a light tan-color, which harmonizes 

 most perfectly with the hairy locks of the caterpillar covering the cocoon. The lat- 

 ter is, consequently, not easily detected, even when placed upon the exposed and 

 upturned surface of the leaf. 



Larva, — The larva is 15'"™ (six-tenths inch) long and has an oval body, over which, 

 however, the flattened and closely applied appendages form a nearly square shield. 



Moth. — The moth has body and legs of purple-brown, with ocherous patches on the 

 back and a light yellow tuft on the middle pair of legs. The abdomen is sable, end- 

 ing in a tuft of ocherous scales. The fore wings have the colors of the thorax finely 

 mingled, as in graining. The hind wings are sable, bordered with ochreous in the 

 female. The fore wings of the male are long and narrow, the hind wings short and 

 very triangular. Both pairs are, in this sex, partly transparent. 



The spread of wings varies in this moth from 20 to 24™™ (eight-tenths inch to 

 ninety-six hundredths inch. Hubbard). 



198. Euclea querceti (Herrich-Schaeff'er). (Limacodes cippus Harris). 



This is said by Abbot to feed on the oak, the dog- wood, and other trees. 

 It makes its cocoon in September, the moth appearing the next July. 



Larva. — Body oblong-oval, with a broad dorsal flat ridge, bearing on the edge in 

 front four large, and near the end of the body the same number of large, spinulated, 

 fleshy, long conical green tubercles, and between them four pairs of short ones. Be- 

 tween them are four black square spots, giving a checkered appearance to the ridge. 

 The sides of the ridge, the surface of which is not hollowed, fall away rapidly to the 

 lateral row of eleven fleshy tubercles. At the end of the body are four stout black 

 subconical dense tufts of dark brown spinulated hairs. Body of a peculiar pale 

 glaucous green ; between the two rows of tubercles is a row of nine roundish polygo- 

 nal contiguous spots of the same hue as the rest of the body, but edged with blackish. 

 Length, 15™™. 



Moth. — Cinnamon brown; upon, and beneath the mediau vein are two confluent 

 green spots margined with a row of white and brown scales; between them is a large 

 notch filled in with rust-red. These two spots are contiguous to three subapical 

 spots, the middle one of which is triangular and largest, and beyond it is a rather 

 narrow rust-red blotch. Discal dot very distinct, ovate, brown. 



199. Parasa chloris (Herrich-Schaeff'er). 



The larva of this fine moth was first found by Reakirt on the chest- 

 nut in September. According to Andrews {Psyche, ii, 271), it feeds on 

 the oak (Quercus), on the pear tree, on wild cherry (Prunus), and on the 

 wax myrtle {Myrica cerifera) in September. Mr. Elliott has reared it 

 from the elm, and Mr. Wetherby mentions the following as its food 

 plants: Oak, pear, cherry, and tartarean honeysuckle. The moth ap- 

 pears in May and June, according to latitude. 



