ATTACKING THE LEAVES. 165 



No. 84. The Gray Dagger-moth. 



Apatela occidentalis (G. & R.). 



This is a pretty, pale, silvery-gray moth, the first brood of 

 which appear on the wing late in May or early in June. It 

 is shown in Fig. 173. The fore wings are pale gray, with 

 various black lines or markings, 

 the principal one being in the 

 form of an irregular cross, bearing 

 a resemblance to the Greek letter 

 'F placed sideways; this is situ- 

 ated about the middle of the fore 

 wing, towards the outer edge. A 



second smaller mark of the same character is found between 

 this and the tip of the wing ; a black line proceeds from the 

 base of the wing and extends to near the middle. The hind 

 wings are dark glossy gray ; the edges of both pairs have a 

 whitish fringe, with an inner border of black spots; the body 

 is gray. The wings, when expanded, measure from an inch 

 and a half to two inches across. 



The moths deposit their eggs singly on the leaves of plum, 

 cherry, and apple trees, and the caterpillar becomes full 

 grown during the first or second week in July. It is then 

 about an inch and a half long. Its head is rather large, 

 flat in front, black, with yellowish dofe at the sides. The 

 body is bluish gray above, with a wide slate-colored band 

 down the back, in which is a central pale-orange line from 

 the second to the fifth segment. From the fifth to the 

 eleventh, inclusive, each segment is ornamented with a beau- 

 tiful group of spots, placed in the dorsal band, two of them 

 bright orange, one in front and one behind, and one of a 

 greenish metallic hue on each side, each group being set in a 

 nearly circular patch of velvety black. There are two cream- 

 colored stripes on the sides, which become indistinct towards 

 each extremity, and into which there extends from each of the 

 black dorsal patches a short, black, curved line, having behind 



