MAPLE CATERPILLARS. 397 



25. The maple dagger-moth. 

 Apatela americana Harris. 



Order Lepidoptera : family Noctuid^. 



In September, a rather large greenish-yellow caterpillar, with long hairs, orna- 

 mented with four pencils of long hairs, and a single pencil on the eleventh ring, 

 spinning a dense cocoon under the bark or elsewhere, and transforming into a whitish 

 motb the next summer. 



This is not uncommon on maple trees late in the autumn, and its 

 habits are described by Harris, who says that it also feeds on the elm, 

 linden, and chestnut. We have often noticed it in Maine at the end of 

 August and in September. 



Mr. CoQuillett has bred the caterpillar in Illinois from the oak, on 

 which it was found August 13. On the 19th of the same month it spun 

 a large cocoon, interwoven with the hairs with which its body was 

 covered, the moth emerging on the 24th of May of the following year. 



Larva. — Body greenish white ; a subdorsal and stigmatal black line ; on top of the 

 last two segments is a black stripe which widens posteriorly ; body thickly covered 

 with short pale yellow hairs; on top of segments 4 and 6 are two pencils and on top 

 of segment 11 is a single pencil of very long black hairs ; body beneath black. 

 Head shining black. Length 2,50 inches. (Coquillett.) 



26. Lochmceus oUvatus Packard. 



The caterpillar of this species has been reared by Professor Riley. 



Moth. — Female: Pale olive greenish ash, with white scales and patches; head 

 above greenish ash, in front ashen, and the palpi ash-colored, with no black exter- 

 nally. Thorax darker behind, the tegulse with white scales. Fore-wings with the 

 basal line indistinct in my specimens (loaned by Mr. H. L. Clark, of Providence) ; 

 middle line doubly scalloped ; the spaces between the dark scallops filled with 

 whitisb scales ; discal dot distinct, brown contained in a large squarish white patch ; 

 on the inner scale of this patch and extending below it is a dark brown patch, form- 

 ing a broad dusky band, extending from the subcostal vein to the third median 

 venule, ending in two scallops. The outer line is sinuous, the scallops shallow, the 

 line curves outward deeply opposite the origin of the median venules ; the line loses 

 itself toward the costa in a diffuse greenish costal patch. There is a distinct sub- 

 marginal series of about eight subtriangular dusky spots, the largest one situated on 

 the first median interspace ; this line is scarcely dislocated as in L. cinereus. Wings 

 dusky, with whitish scales and dark line at the base. Hind wings ash, whitish in 

 spots; traces of an outer dusky band, distinct in the center when it is externally 

 shaded with whitish ; the band crosses the wing, but is quite faint. Beneath, the 

 lines and spots do not reappear, and both wings are uniformly ash-brown, the line 

 at base of fringe dusky, the fringe whitish ash, spotted with dusky. Length of 

 body, female, 20"^'" (^^ inch) ; expanse of wings, female, 52""" (2 inches.) 



