46 



lines. Legs yellowish white, with fuscous shadings on the under 

 side. 



Fore wings very pale brownish gray, with a brownish spot be- 

 fore the fissue. Fringes concolorous with the lobes. Hind wings 

 of the same color as the fore wings. Fringes paler, except at the 

 apices. 



Habitat. Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, California, Oregon. 

 Food, Iron Weed ( Vernonia noveboracensis) . 



An examination of the genitalia of the types of paleaceus and 

 also of sericidactylus proves them to be identical. 



"Larva. Length, 0.55 inch; diameter, 0.10 inch; form, sub- 

 cylindrical. Color when young, dingy white, with a tinge of 

 green, becoming at maturity pale glaucous, often varying, espe- 

 cially in the late fall brood, to dull salmon. Dorsal hairs proceed- 

 ing from prominent tubercles, and of two sizes in each tuft, each 

 of the shorter ones tipped with a minute pellucid bead of viscid 

 fluid, to which pollen and bits of leaves often adhere. Lateral 

 ridge well defined. Prolegs long and narrow. When mature, the 

 larva weaves a dense mat of silk, upon which it extends itself, 

 remaining quiescent for two or three days, the dorsal surface 

 acquiring, meanwhile, a translucent lilaceous hue, with three 

 greenish- white longitudinal stripes, of which the medio-dorsal is 

 most distinct and continuous. 



* * Pupa, with ventral surface closely appressed to the mat of 

 silk, to which the anal hooks are firmly attached. An upright or 

 inverted horizontal position seems to be preferred, although there 

 is no thoracic band or other support for the anterior part of the 

 body. 



"Average length, 0.45; diameter, same as larva, tapering 

 rather abruptly from seventh abdominal segment backward. Wing 

 sheaths narrow, free at the blunt tips. Dorsum with prominent 

 subdorsal ridges. Color and markings quite variable. In the 

 spring brood commonly dull green, with indistinct lateral yellow 

 stripes. In the fall brood the dorsum is pale yellow or flesh color, 

 with two fine, indistinct, medio-dorsal lines of lilac color; sub- 

 dorsal ridge pale, inclining to lilac on outer side. In subdorsal 

 space are two nearly continuous, quite heavy, black or fuscous 

 lines, separated by a broad pale stripe, from two narrow, inter- 

 rupted dark lines, one beneath, the other above, the stigmata. On 

 the thorax the^dark stripes are represented by two slightly diverg- 

 ing dashes on each side. Situated in the subdorsal ridge, at the 

 posterior edge of each segment, are a pair of small, geminate, 



