68 MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 
Poaphila quadrifilaris is a little moth which expands about an 
inch. It is very dark brown, or almost black, lighter toward the 
Poaphila quadrifilaris. 
edges of the wings. ‘The fore wings are crossed by two white stripes, 
the inner one being the narrower, while the lower wings are plain 
dark brown. This httle insect inhabits marshy meadows and when 
disturbed flies so rapidly that it is difficult to follow it with the eye. 
Its flight is short, and it alights suddenly on a grass blade, keeping 
an eye on the intruder and holding itself ready for another flight. I 
have taken this moth rarely with a lighted lamp in Massachusetts. 
Zs Gi ff HWW \ 
Bigg! Mlb, Wp al \\\ \ 
Chit) 7 Vs SAY 
Drasteria erechtea. 
Drasteria erechtea is a very common insect frequenting open 
grassy fields and meadows. It flies rapidly when disturbed, but 
only for a short distance. This moth is one of the first to make its 
appearance in the spring, and may also be found abundantly in the 
late summer and autumn. In expanse about an inch and a half, it is 
one of the commonest visitors to the collector’s lamp, sometimes 
becoming a great nuisance, fluttering about the lamp and even into 
the chimney, extinguishing the flame. 
The larvee of this moth feeds on clover and is of a reddish-brown 
color with darker stripes and two light gray lines on the back. The 
caterpillar might: easily be mistaken for a Geometrid as it has but 
three pairs of abdominal legs and moves with a looping motion. 
The mature insect is grayish-brown with dark brown bands and 
markings disposed as shown in the illustration. The male is more 
