608 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



ment, high on the side, a dead black tubercle, a little raised and rounded in yellow 

 ring; spiracles in black ovals; surface covered with a fine short down; head obovoid, 

 green, smooth, sparsely pilose; the ocelli brown. Occasionally the larvae in later 

 stages are differently colored. One had the dorsum dark green, edged on either side 

 by a gray line, and successively by a band of yellow, a gray line, and a black band ; 

 the third segment is wholly and the fifth partly black. Two others of the same brood 

 were green with a black band along base of body and black patches on 3 and 11. 



Chrysalis. — Length, .5 inch ; helmet-shaped ; compressed laterally, the abdomen 

 somewhat carinated ; mesonoTom high rounded, sloping abruptly to top of head- 

 case, much compressed and sharply carinated ; followed by a deep excavation ; head- 

 case not prominent, square or nearly so at top, a little excavated, the corners sub- 

 pyramidal and scarcely at all produced ; along carina of abdomen a yellow line 

 which forks and passes round mesonotum to top of head-case ; a slight yellow lateral 

 line on abdomen ; color green, either deep or with a blue or yellow tint ; the abdo- 

 men much sprinkled with pale yellow flat points or small spots, a few of these about 

 the head-case. Duration of this stage five days in July, seven daj^s in August. 



Mr. Edwards is of the opinion that there are several successive gen- 

 erations, " probably four, that the latter butterflies hibernate, and the 

 survivors are on the wing early in May, and probably in favorable sea- 

 sons in April. The first generation in descent from the hibernating 

 females are on the wing in June, the second generation in July, the 

 third in August, and late butterflies emerge from chrysalis in Septem- 

 ber, and these would be of the fourth generation in descent from the 

 hibernating females." 



5. The Hackberry Dagger. 



{Acrotiycta rubricoma Guen.) 



Order Lepidoptera ; family NoCTUiDiK. 



This is a widely distributed species and doubtless coincident with its 

 food-plant, the different species (»f Celtis, on which, according to my 

 own observations as well as those of others (French, 6th Kept. 111. 

 State Norm. Univ., p. 45, and J. Marten, Trans. Dept. Agr., 111., Vol. 18, 

 Append., p. 132), it feeds exclusively. It will, in fact, perish rather than 

 partake of any other food that I have so far offered. The species has 

 been represented in the U. S. National Museum from the following 

 States : Texas, Missouri, Illinois, South Carolina, Virginia, and even 

 from Canada, in all of which localities it is probably double-brooded. 

 In its southern range the first brood of larvf© appear during the early 

 part of May, being full grown by about the end of June. The moths 

 from these appear during July and the early part of August, whilst tlie 

 larvpe of the second brood are full grown from the middle of September 

 to the middle of October, this last brood being, however, very generally 

 parasitized. The second generation of moths (with the exception of a 

 few premature specimens which issue the same fall) makes its appear- 

 ance the ensuing spring from about the 10th of April till May. Capt- 

 ured specimens in the National collection bear the following dates: 

 By myself, April 20, 1874, July 10, 1874, and September 3, 1874; by 

 Belfrage, Texas, April 11, 21, 29; by S. H. Saunders, Canada, July 10, 

 1886. The full-grown larvae are rather handsome insects, which, like 



