298 LEl'IDOPTERA. 



ing prolonged into a long tail which reaches far behind the tip 

 of the abdomen. Actias Luna Linn, is green and the larva 

 closely resembles that of Telea ; it is, however, banded ob- 

 liquely with yellow instead of white, and spins a cocoon that is 

 of much the same shape. It is not so hardy a worm as the 

 Polyphemus caterpillar. It lives on the walnut, hickory and 

 maple. In the Museum of the Peabody Academy is a closely 

 allied and undescribed species from the west coast of Guate- 

 mala, which we would call Actias Azteca. It differs from A . 

 Luna in its much smaller size, expanding only three and a halt' 

 inches, and in the shorter fore wings, the apex being much 

 rounded and with shorter veins, while the "tails" on the hind 

 wings are only half as long as those of A. Luna. It also dif- 

 fers in having the origin of the first subcostal venule much 

 nearer the discal spot than in A. Luna, being very near that 

 of the second subcostal venule. It is whitish green, with 

 markings not essentially differing from those of A. Luna. 



Callosamia is a genus with broader wings and no transpa- 

 rent eye-like spots. The larva has large tubercles and is very 

 plump. Its characters are intermediate between those of 

 Samia and Platysamia. C. Promethea Drury is a smaller spe- 

 cies than the others. Its larva is pale bluish green, with the 

 head, tail and feet 3 7 ellow, with eight warts on each ring, those 

 on the two first thoracic rings being the largest, much longer 

 than the rest and coral red. The cocoon is hung by a stout 

 silken cord to the stem of the leaf which is then wrapped 

 around it. It may be found attached to the twigs of the 

 wild cherry, Azalea and Cephalanthus, or button bush, in 

 winter after the leaves have fallen. 



Our most common species of this group is the Cecropia moth, 

 belonging to the genus Platysamia, which has a broader 

 head and wings than the foregoing genera. The caterpillar of 

 P. Cecropia Linn, is longer, with long spinulated tubercles, 

 especially marked on the thoracic rings ; the large, very dense 

 cocoon is open at one end and thus the silk cannot be un- 

 wound so well as that <>r the 1'olyphemus worm, but it is still 

 useful, and Platyxamia />/>/"/<' Boisduval is cultivated in Cali- 

 fornia for its silk, though the cultivation of the Chinese silk- 

 worm (B. mori) is carried on there very largely. 



