1G4 MEMOIES OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Notodonta Ocbseuheimer. 



(PI. XLl. tin- i>; XLII. fig. 1. venation.) 



Kotoionla Oclis.. Schiuett. Enr., ii. p. l."i, IslO. 



Hiibuer, Verz. Sebniett.. ]>. 146, 181(). 

 Hylesia (iu part) Hiibuer, Verz. Sebniett.. p. !><{!. 1816. 

 Notodonta Hoisil., (ieu. et Iiid. Mi-Ui.. !>. 86. 1810. 



,anil I'eridia, Duponcbcl, tat. Mc'tb. L^p. Eur., ]). HI, 1844. 

 Xotodunia Herr.-Scbaeffer, Syst., Bear!)., >Schmett., Eur., ii. 1845. 



Walk., Cat. Lep. Het. Br. Mti.s., v, ]>. 995, 1855. 



Pack., Proc. Ent. Soc. Pbil., iii, p. 356. 1864. 



Stand., Cat. Lep. Eur., p. 72, 1871. 



Grote, Check List N. Am. Motbs, p. 18. 1882. 



Smitb, List Lep. Bor. Amer., p. 30, 1891. 



Kirby, Syn. Cat. Lc]). Het., i. p. 599. 1892. 



(in jiart) \euui. ami Dyar, Traus. Auier. Ent. 8oc., xxi, p. 181, June, 1894; Jonni. N. V. Ent. f*oc., 

 ii, )). 113, Sept., 1894. 



Moth. — Head not proiiiiiieut; front ratUer narrow, its vestiturc long- and loose, forming a 

 median crest between the antenn;e; the latter pectinated to near the tijis, often with .short stout 

 branches which are ciliated at the end; the Joints in 9 simple; a tuft of scales at the base of each 

 antenna. Maxilhe slender, about the length of the front. Palpi porrect, reaching to the front, 

 moderately stout; third joint not very distinct from the second, which is liairy beneath. Eyes 

 hairy. Thorax smooth, not tufted. Fore wings a little less than one-half as broad as long; costa 

 convex near the base and toward the apex much more rounded than usual; outer edge oblique, 

 nearly as long as the internal edge; tlie apex much more rounded than usual; internal edge full 

 near the base, with a prominent tutt in the middle. Venation: Costal region lather wide; no 

 subcostal cell: fourth subcostal venule long; discalveiu transverse, not oblique, each \eiu curved; 

 tho.se of the hind wings obliciue, both iu the same Hue. not being oblique to each other. Legs 

 densely hairy. Abdomen rather full, simple at the end. Coloration of the species usually gray, 

 with reddish brown markings, and usually a discal spot. 



The species of this genus ditfer from those of the allied genera in the well-rounded apex of 

 the fore wings, the feebly pectinated antenme, the branches being short and ciliated, in the tuft 

 on the inner edge, and in the i)resence or lack of a subcostal cell, while the outer edge of the 

 wings is not .scalloped. 



I find that although our ^V. fifra(/i<Iii in its larval and most of its adult structnial characters is 

 closely related to the pjuro])ean X. zic::ac. yet the latter has no subcostal cell, though one is ])resent 

 in N. stragula (three $ examined). In N. siinplarici, however, there is no cell. In larval characters 

 our J^. stragula agrees with the li^uropean X. dromedarius, tritoplms, and siczac. 



Larva. — Head large, square; a large high nntant Inunp on second and a lower one on third 

 •and a very prominent one on eighth abilomiual segment, the latter ending in two tubercles. Anal 

 legs long, but used iu walking. The European species have from three to five Inuups. In the 

 European N. zk'zac theie ai'e, judging by Buckler's figures, as iu our species, but three hunq)s; iu 

 N. iritopliK.s there arc four, wliile the larva of X. dromedarius most ap2)roaches Nerii^e in having 

 Ave humps, four on each of the four basal al)dominal segments and one on the eighth. 



I'upn. — No distinct cremaster, the body being smooth and rounded at the end. 



Geographical distrihutiou. — It is interesting to notice that iu the Kurojiean forms (and in 

 Europe there are more species than in North Ameri<'a) there is a tendency among the species, 

 which vary in the number of dorsal humi)s, to fill u]) the gap between the genus Notodonta and 

 Nerice. In fact, the latter genus exists in northeastern Asia,' and this fact adds another i)oint of 

 resemblance between the fauna of lujrtheastern America and northeastern Asia. 



SY.NOCSIS 01' rilK Sl-ECIES. 



Fore \viii!;s rounded, monse-gray, with reddish brown spots; no cross lines; tuft narrow, pointed; a distinct 



linear discal spot -iV. utraijiaa 



Ash-gray, withnobrown; fore wings with two dark scalloped lines N. simplaria 



' yvricc davUli Obertliur, from tlie north of China. 



