﻿THE 
  INSECTS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  JERSEY. 
  431 
  

  

  Super-family 
  SATURNOIDEA. 
  

  

  These 
  are 
  all 
  large 
  moths, 
  and 
  among 
  them 
  are 
  our 
  American 
  silk 
  

   spinners. 
  They 
  are 
  heavy-bodied, 
  clumsy 
  species 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  with 
  small 
  

   retracted 
  heads, 
  mouth 
  parts 
  so 
  aborted 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  unfit 
  for 
  feeding 
  and 
  

   body 
  densely 
  clothed 
  with 
  scales 
  and 
  hair. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  three 
  families: 
  The 
  "Saturniidge" 
  are 
  the 
  largest 
  of 
  the 
  

   species, 
  expanding 
  up 
  to 
  six 
  inches 
  or 
  more, 
  the 
  wings 
  are 
  large 
  and 
  

   broad, 
  with 
  usually 
  a 
  transparent 
  discal 
  spot, 
  and 
  the 
  antennae 
  are 
  

   pectinated 
  to 
  the 
  tip, 
  with 
  two 
  long 
  branches 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  each 
  joint. 
  

   The 
  caterpillars 
  are 
  all 
  silk 
  spinners 
  and 
  form 
  a 
  large, 
  dense 
  cocoon, 
  in 
  

   which 
  the 
  pupal 
  stage 
  is 
  passed. 
  

  

  The 
  "CeratocampidsB" 
  are 
  quite 
  different 
  in 
  appearance. 
  They 
  have 
  

   narrower 
  wings, 
  pointed 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  hyaline 
  spots, 
  and 
  -the 
  

   antennas 
  have 
  the 
  pectinations 
  shorter, 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  basal 
  half; 
  but 
  

   still 
  two 
  branches 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  each 
  joint. 
  The 
  caterpillars 
  are 
  fur- 
  

   nished 
  with 
  horns 
  or 
  other 
  processes, 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  very 
  large 
  

   and 
  formidable 
  in 
  appearance. 
  None 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  silk 
  spinners, 
  and 
  the 
  

   pupae 
  are 
  formed 
  under 
  ground. 
  

  

  The 
  "Hemileucidae" 
  are 
  represented 
  by 
  a 
  single 
  species 
  only, 
  black 
  

   with 
  a 
  partly 
  transparent 
  central 
  band 
  on 
  the 
  wings, 
  the 
  antenna 
  pec- 
  

   tinated, 
  with 
  very 
  short 
  joints 
  and 
  single 
  branches 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  each 
  

   joint. 
  The 
  caterpillars 
  are 
  set 
  with 
  bristly 
  spines 
  and 
  form 
  a 
  cocoon. 
  

  

  Several 
  of 
  the 
  larvae 
  of 
  this 
  series 
  feed 
  on 
  cultivated 
  plants 
  and 
  

   orchard 
  trees, 
  but 
  none 
  are 
  really 
  injurious. 
  Their 
  large 
  size 
  makes 
  

   them 
  easily 
  visible, 
  and 
  hand-picking 
  is 
  usually 
  the 
  best 
  method 
  of 
  get- 
  

   ting 
  rid 
  of 
  them. 
  The 
  species 
  of 
  "Anisota" 
  sometimes 
  become 
  tempo- 
  

   rarily 
  abundant 
  in 
  oak 
  woods 
  and 
  may 
  strip 
  considerable 
  areas, 
  but 
  they 
  

   do 
  no 
  permanent 
  harm. 
  

  

  Family 
  SATURNIID^. 
  

  

  There 
  has 
  been 
  some 
  shifting 
  of 
  generic 
  names 
  in 
  this 
  family, 
  but 
  the 
  

   species 
  are 
  unchanged, 
  and 
  the 
  changes 
  are 
  so 
  obvious 
  that 
  the 
  syno- 
  

   nyms 
  are 
  not 
  given. 
  

  

  PHILOSAMIA 
  Grt. 
  

  

  P. 
  cynthia 
  Dru. 
  Common 
  near 
  Jersey 
  City 
  and 
  for 
  some 
  distance 
  in 
  its 
  

   vicinity. 
  Also 
  taken 
  at 
  Paterson, 
  at 
  Trenton 
  and 
  near 
  Philadelphia, 
  

   but 
  has 
  not 
  reached 
  New 
  Brunswick 
  nor 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  cities 
  or 
  towns 
  

   remote 
  from 
  the 
  larger 
  centres 
  of 
  population. 
  Mr. 
  Davis 
  records 
  it 
  

   from 
  Staten 
  Island, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  possible 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  foothold 
  at 
  

   other 
  points 
  near 
  the 
  coast. 
  It 
  is 
  an 
  importation 
  from 
  China, 
  and 
  

   has 
  never 
  really 
  established 
  itself 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  at 
  large. 
  The 
  

   caterpillar 
  feeds 
  chiefly 
  upon 
  the 
  "Ailanthus," 
  or 
  "tree 
  of 
  heaven," 
  

   sometimes 
  known 
  as 
  "tallow-tree" 
  from 
  its 
  odor 
  when 
  in 
  bloom, 
  and 
  

   there 
  are 
  two 
  annual 
  broods, 
  the 
  winter 
  being 
  passed 
  in 
  the 
  pupal 
  

   stage. 
  

  

  