XVII 

 NOCTUINA 



FAMILY, NOCTUI'NA. 



SUBFAMILY, NOCTU'ID^. 



ACRONYCTA AMERICANA 



GENUS, ACRONYC'TA. 



SPECIES, AMERICA'NA. 



THIS is the cream-white or pale straw-colored cater- 

 pillar common on maple. It is reported on other 

 trees also, but we have never succeeded in making it 

 eat anything but maple. It is a very slow caterpillar 

 both in motion and in growth, and is almost the same in 

 appearance from the earliest stage to the latest, — that 

 is, from egg to cocoon, — except in size. Sometimes 

 the larvae grow very large, measuring over two inches 

 in length. They spin cocoons. 



The moths are white and gray, with black dots and 

 dashes. 



297 



