170 ARCTIA OCULATISSlMA. 



and sides with orange-yellow ; legs white, the ex- 

 tremities with black rings. 



The caterpillar feeds on the wild sun-flower 

 (Polymnia tetragonotheca ?J, wild cherry, persim- 

 mon (Diospyros Virginiana), and several other 

 plants. "When young, it is one-half orange-coloured 

 and the other black. At its full growth it becomes 

 brownish-black, with an orange-red band along each 

 side ; the incisures of the segments and legs likewise 

 of that colour. The hairs are placed on tubercles 

 alternately nearer the anterior edges of each seg- 

 ment, so that they form a pretty broad band, and 

 leave the rest of the body naked. When about to 

 change to a chrysalis, it spins a thin gummy yellow 

 web, something like that constructed on the same 

 occasion by our common tiger-moth. Some observed 

 by Abbot spun on the 14th March, and came out 

 on the 18th of April; others spun on the 15th of 

 June, and appeared on the wing July 7th. 



It might be supposed from the general appearance 

 of this moth that it would be a Spilosoma, but the 

 caterpillar and chrysalis indicate a closer relation to 

 Arctia. The species figured by Cramer under the 

 name of Cunigunda is closely allied to it ; but the 

 latter is of smaller size, has the annular spots tinged 

 with brown in the centre, and the abdomen is 

 variegated with brown. It is a native of Surinam, 

 Cayenne, &c. 



