1 893-] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 221 



but think it likely that Fragaria and Sptrcea might be accepted 

 as food-plants by zephyrus in case of necessity. 



Azalea occidentalis was recorded by Henry Edwards as the 

 food-plant of zephyrits in the Yosemite. 



ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY. 



LEPIDOPTERA-HETEROCERA (Moths). 

 By Prof. John B. Smith, New Brunswick, N. J. 



As they are arranged in our list to-day, the Noctuidae begin 

 with a series of what may be termed Bombyciform moths, having 

 some of the appearance of the Notodontidae. both in the adult 

 and larval stages. We find, in some cases, the retracted head, 

 short tongue and woolly vestiture, which gradually merges into 

 forms like Acronyda, which are typically Noctuid, of a whitish 

 color usually, and, as a rule, with black markings which show a 

 decided tendency to the Greek psi character. These are followed 

 by a series of rather small, slight-bodied moths — whitish, green, 

 red, or brightly colored, with rather large wings, of which Bryo- 

 phila is typical. The typical Noctuina follow, and contain a 

 series of robust forms with comparatively short, stiff wings, and 

 usually sombre or quite modest colors. The larvae are largely 

 cut-worms, and as such to be reckoned among the foes to agri- 

 culture. One of the most numerous series is that of the Agrotes, 

 all of them distinguished by naked eyes and spinose tibiae. In a 

 very large proportion of the species the front is modified into a 

 tubercle, or is at least roughened. The thoracic clothing and the 

 tuftings vary much, as does indeed not only the wing, but the 

 body form, many being quite depressed and flattened, while others 

 are quite cylindrical and with cylindro-conic abdomen. Quite a 

 number of genera, and about fifteen per cent, of all our species, 

 are represented in this series. This is followed by Ma7?iestra and 

 its allies, all of them with hairy eyes, smooth front, and non- 

 spinose tibiae. In their appearance and habitus they are not un- 

 like the Agrotes, and have the same prevailing dusky colors with, 

 indeed, fewer exceptions. In the next following Hadenids we 

 find again naked eyes, but unarmed tibiae, and here again the 

 front is not modified. The habitus is much the same as before, 

 and the body parts may be tufted or untufted; this and the wing- 



