LEPIDOPTERA. 



611 



Fig. 130.— Chelonia villica. 



Notodonta, Ochs., has the inner margin of the wing denticulated, [whence these insects are called Promi- 

 nent Moths]. 



Orgyia, Ochs., differs from the preceding by having the females almost wingless. B. antiqua, Fab. [the 

 Vapourer Moth]. 



Limacodes, Latr., differs from all in having the caterpillars like Wood-lice, and which seem also to represent 

 the Polyommati amongst the diurnal species. H. Tesiudo and Asellus, Fab. 



Psyche, Schrank., the caterpillars of which form portable cases of silk, to which they aflix bits of stick, thus 

 resembling the nests of the Caddice-flies. Some of the species, from the East Indies and Senegal, are very remark- 

 able in their forms. 

 The terminal Pseudo-Bombyces have the proboscis very distinct and elongated. 



Chelonia, God. (Arciia, Schr., Eyprepia, Ochs.), 

 has the wings roof-like ; the antenna; pectinated in 

 the males; the palpi very hirsute, and the proboscis 

 short. 



B, caja, the Great Garden Tiger Moth, having 

 brown upper-wings marked with white, and red 

 under-wings spotted with blue black. The larvae are 

 very common, and are termed Woolly Bears. 



Callimorpha, Latr. (Eyprepia, Ochs.), has the 



wings roof-like, but the antennje are only serrated 



in the males ; the palpi only slightly sqiiamose, and 



the proboscis long. B. Jacobaa, a very common 



species, black, the upper wings having a line and two carmine red spots ; the under wings of the latter colour, 



bordered with black. 



Lithosia, Fab., has the wings horizontal in repose. 



The fourth section of the Nocturna, that of tlxe Aposur^, differs at once from all the rest of the 

 order in the caterpillars being destitute of any anal feet, the extremity of the body terminating in a 

 point, which in many is forked, or furnished with two long articulated appendages, forming a kind of 

 tail. In respect to the proboscis, palpi, and antenna;, the Moths differ but little from the preceding. 



Dicranoura, God. (Cerura, Schr., Harpyia, Ochs.), have the external habit of Chelonia or Sericaria, and the 

 e.xtremity of the body of the larva is terminated by two tails. [C Vinula, the Puss Moth.] 



Plaiypteryx, Lasp. (Drepana, ScCr.), more resembles Phalaena, having the fore-wings hooked at the tips and the 

 body slender ; the body of the larvae terminates in a point. In respect to the latter state, these Moths therefore 

 resemble the Dicranourae ; but, in their perfect state, that of Fhalenites. Ph.falcataria, lacertinaria, &c. 



The fifth section of the Nocturnal Lepidoptera, that of the Noctu^lites, Latr., resembles the pre- 

 ceding in the wings, but differs in having a corneous proboscis rolled up in a spiral direction, and 

 mostly very long ; palpi terminated suddenly by a very small joint, slenderer than the preceding, which 

 is much larger, and very compressed. The body is generally clothed with scales rather than with 

 wool ; the thorax is often crested above, and the abdomen is of an elongate conic form ; the antennae 

 are generally slender and simple. Their flight is very rapid, and some species fly during the day. 



The caterpillars have mostly sixteen feet ; some have two or four less, but the anal pair is never 

 wanting ; and in those with only tvtelve feet the anterior pair of the membranous legs is as large as 

 the following. The majority of these caterpillars inclose themselves in a cocoon. They compose the 

 section Phalcena-Noctua, Linn. All the generic groups established recently, and which are character- 

 ized rather from the caterpillar than the perfect state, may be reduced to the two following 

 subgenera. 



Erebus, Latr. (Thysania, Dalm., Nortiia, Fab.), has the wings always extended and horizontal, and the last joint 

 of the palpi long, slender, and naked. These are very large moths, all of which are exotic except one Spanish 

 species. 



NOCTUA, 



Has the last joint of the palpi very short, and clothed with scales, like the preceding. The majority have the 

 larvK 16-footed, as the Red Under-wing Moths, Noctua [Catocala] sponsa, &c. Others have only twelve feet, 

 and the imago is ornamented with golden or silvery spots, such as the Burnished Brass Moth, Noctua [Plusia] 

 Chrysitef, &c. The larvae of some, as N. Verbasci, Absinthii, &c., feed on the flowers of the plants after which 

 they are named. Others have the antenn» feathered, as N. graminis, the larva of which is very destructive to 

 pastures in Sweden [and elsewhere]. This genus is divided by Ochsenheimer into forty-two genera, being for the 

 most part equivalent to the groups proposed in the systematic catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Vienna, of which, 

 however, the nature of our work does not allow the details. After the removal of Erebus, Latreille, in a note, 

 suggests that the Noctuae form two series ; the first having partially geometrical larva-, and the others having 

 16-footed larva, both, however, terminating with species conducting to Herminia andPyralis. 

 Bombyx Cyllopoda, Dalm., forms a new and anomalous subgenus. 



