1905 | POPULAR ENTOMOLOGY. 49 
The caterpillars of these Halisidotas are general feeders, and 
all have been found here at Ottawa feeding on oak, elm, wiilow, 
basswood, ash, etc. They become full grown in autumn, and 
after wandering about in search of a suitable place to make their 
winter home, each caterpillar spins an oblong-oval cocoon com- 
posed of the hairs from its body, interwoven with some silk. 
Soon after completing its cocoon, it changes to a reddish-brown 
object, called the pupa, and while in this state it gradually trans- 
forms into the perfect insect, the moth emerging the following 
June. These cocoons may often be found in open woods in spring, 
under pieces of old plank, dry logs, or even flat slabs of stone, 
which in some way have been disturbed or dislodged. After hav- 
ing collected these cocoons and brought them home to watch for 
the appearance of the moths, it often happens that one js surprised 
to see in the box, or breeding cage, in which they have been 
placed, a large fly somewhat like the ordinary house fly except in 
size, or a still larger kind of fly, in the sense of being longer,viz., 
one of the hymenoptera, instead of what we expected to see—the 
perfect insect or moth. To one who studies insects, however, this 
is not always a disappointment, as a' knowledge of our parasitic, 
or beneficial species, is of much value, and were it not for these 
parasitic forms, some kinds of which prey to such a marked ex- 
tent upon our native species of injurious insects, these Jatter would 
soon multiply enormously, and quickly destroy all vegetation. 
The Checkered Halisidota, H. ¢essellaris, S. & A., is slightly 
larger than the other two species found at Ottawa, and expands, 
when the wings have been spread, about two inches. It is a deli- 
cate looking moth with semi-transparent wings, of a buff color. 
The forewings, which are narrower, maxing them appear more 
pointed than in maculata and cary@, are checkered with five irregu- 
lar transverse bands, margined narrowly with black, the 2nd, 
4th and 5th of which extend right across the wing. The shoulder 
covers and collar of the thorax are the same color as the wings, 
but are margined on the inside with greenish-blue. Down the 
centre of the thorax is a stripe of the same greenish-blue. The 
balance of the thorax, the upper surface of the abdomen and the 
legs are yellowish-orange. 
