Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States 365 



Key to the species 



1. Fore wing outwardly transparent below R 5 . 



2. Antenna? pectinate 1. asilipennis. 



2. Antennae serrate or simple 8. pyramidalis. 



1. Fore wing opaque, at least above M t . 

 2. Fore wing entirely opaque outwardly. 



3. Hind wings with an even, brown border (at least as broad as fringe), 



or mainly brown 7. dollii. 



3. Border in places not broader than fringe, but extended along branches of 



Cu as far as cell 4. scepsiformis. 



3. Hind wings transparent (except for the usual black fringe, terminal 

 edge, and veins ) . 



4. Palpi mostly black above; abdomen with short tufts 6. tricinctus. 



4. Palpi yellow above; abdomen of male ending in four pencils. 



5. polistiformis. 

 2. Fore wing with a transparent area at anal angle. 



3. Abdomen yellow toward apex 2a. simulans, var. luggeri. 



3. Abdomen with narrow yellow bands 1. asilipennis. 



3. Abdomen with second to fourth segments yellow, apex darker. .2. simulans. 

 3. Abdomen orange 3. palmii. 



I. Male antennce bipectinate except on the club (Tarsa Walker). 



1. M. asilipennis Boisduval. Body, veins, and borders of wings dull brown; 

 reddish in cell. Tegulae rufous; segments of abdomen narrowly edged with yellow; 

 legs orange; all wings of male and hind wings of female transparent; bar at end 

 of cell oblique and rather heavy. Fore wings of female deep brown, with a 

 transparent triangle at anal angle and a streak at base. 32-40 mm. (female 

 larger ) . 



Larva in ash and alder roots. 



New Hampshire and Minnesota to Florida and Texas. New York: Rochester 

 Junction, Buffalo, Staten Island; Brooklyn and Amagansett, Long Island. 



2. M. simulans Grote. Blackish; face with two yellow stripes; front of palpi 

 yellow; scape yellow; collar partly yellow; two yellow spots on tegulae; and 

 scutellum yellow. (In the type form the base of the abdomen is black, the next 

 three segments yellow, narrowly black at base of each, the fifth and sixth black, 

 overlaid with loose greenish-looking yellow hair; and the apical tuft yellow and 

 reddish. Legs yellow, becoming orange on tarsi, the tibiae concolorous. Fore wing 

 brown, strongly reddish in middle of wing, with outer third transparent below M 2 and 

 with two transparent streaks on basal half. Hind wing transparent. This extreme 

 form is little known and was described from Algonquin, Illinois, in June.) 

 (H 46:10.) 



a. M. simulans, var. luggeri Henry Edwards. Similar; male with transparent 

 areas often meeting below cell. Abdomen black at base, with a narrow stripe on 

 second segment only; the middle segments yellow on sides, and the tail solidly 

 yellow; scape black, except below; fore tibia with considerable black hair above; 

 middle and hind tibiae with small spots. 27-32 mm. 



Late May to July. Larva in wood of black and red oaks; very rarely in white 

 oak or chestnut. (The single specimen I have seen bred from chestnut has the 

 yellow replaced with orange.) 



The larva takes two years to reach maturity; the moth flying in the vicinity of 

 New York in odd-numbered years. Forms intermediate between variety luggeri 

 and the type are not rare. 



Maine to Maryland. New York: Staten Island; Jamaica, Long Island (all 

 of variety luggeri). 



