LEPIDOPTERA I BOMBYCID^. 4<DI 



The Promethea Moth, A. promethea, Drury, expands 

 from three inches and three fourths to four inches and a 

 quarter, and the male is deep smoky brown above, the 

 female light reddish-brown ; in both the wings are crossed 

 by a wavy whitish line near the middle, and have a clay- 

 colored border, which is marked by a wavy reddish line ; 

 and near the tips of the fore wings there is an eye-spot 

 within a bluish-white crescent. This moth appears in 

 July. The caterpillar feeds upon the sassafras-tree. Be- 

 fore making its cocoon, it fastens to the twig with silken 

 threads the leaf that is to cover its cocoon, so that it 

 shall not fall in autumn, and then spins its cocoon on 

 the leaf, bending over the edges of the latter to cover it. 



The Luna Moth, A. luna, Fabr., expands from -four 

 inches and three quarters to five inches and a half, and 

 the wings are of a delicate light green, the hinder angle 

 of the posterior ones prolonged into a tail of an inch and 

 a half or more in length, and each wing with an eye-like 

 spot, which is transparent in the centre and encircled by 

 rings of white, red, yellow, and black. The caterpillar 

 lives on the walnut and hickory, attains its growth, two 

 or three inches in length, in July and August, is pale 

 bluish-green, with a yellow stripe on each side of the 

 body, and the back is crossed between the rings by the 

 same color. On each ring are about six pearly-colored 

 warts tinged with purple, and at the extremity of the 

 body are three brown spots edged above with yellow. It 

 draws together two or three leaves, and spins its cocoon 

 inside of them ; the cocoons fall with the leaves in au- 

 tumn, and the next June the beautiful Luna appears. 

 This species is now referred to Tropcea. 



The Polyphemus Moth, A. polypheinus, Fabr., expands 

 from five and a quarter to six inches ; wings ochre-yel- 

 low, and on each there is a transparent eye-spot, divided 

 by a slender line, and encircled by yellow and black 



