LEPIDOPTERA.— GEOMETRID&. 397 
of the larva of Abraxas grossulariata; 2. pupa of ditto; 12. the larva 
of the Lilac Beauty, Pericallia syringaria, distinguished from all the 
other caterpillars in the family by the recurved horns upon the 
eighth segment of the body). Mr. Stephens describes the larve of 
some of the genera as possessing 12, and others 14 feet.* 
If we except Campea Margaritata (the larva of which has lateral 
appendages at the sides of the middle segments of the body, giving 
it the appearance of a greater number of prolegs than it really pos- 
sesses ), and the Cerura-like larve of Platypteryx (fig. 109. 13.), the 
figures given above represent the most marked variations in the 
appearance of the larve of this family, except such as have 12 or 
14 feet, as already mentioned. 
These caterpillars feed upon the leaves of various trees and plants, 
and have the instinct, when alarmed, of dropping down from the leaves, 
and suspending themselves by a thread, which enables them to re- 
mount when the danger is past. The chrysalides are either naked 
and suspended by the tail, or enclosed in a very slender cocoon, which 
is rarely subterranean, and oft-times placed amongst dry leaves, &c. 
In the perfect state, these insects offer very little variation in their 
habits, flying sluggishly in the twilight, or when disturbed during the 
day, and quickly settling again amongst the foliage of woods and 
hedges. In their colours, they are much more beautifully ornamented 
than the Noctuide ; and many species have a broad wavy band across 
the fore wings, whence they have obtained the name of carpet moths : 
they rarely exceed a moderate size. In some species, the females 
are almost, or entirely, destitute of wings (jig. 109. 9. Hibernia 
defoliaria @ ). Some of these, as the Cheimatobia brumata, are 
exceedingly injurious to fruit trees, devouring the tender shoots and 
leaves in the spring (see Kollar’s work on Noxious Insects); whilst 
Bupalus piniarius is occasionally exceedingly destructive in the pine 
forests of Germany. (Silbermann, Rev. Entomol. No. 9.) 
The males of one small group (genus Lobophora Curtis) are singu- 
larly distinguished by their hind wings being furnished with a small 
membranous lobe, giving them the appearance of possessing an extra 
pair of wings. 
M. Duponchel has described a singular Gynandromorphous indi- 
vidual of Angerona prunaria (in Ann. Soc. Ent, de France, 1835, pl. 
* In the species figured by De Geer ( Mém., tom. i. pl. 25. f. 1—7.), the larva has 
three pairs of ventral feet, the first and second of which are very minute. 
