674 William T. M. Forbes 



6. SAMIA Hiibner 

 (Platyscbmia G-rote; Attacus) 



Very close to Callosamia ; larger, sexes alike, outer margin less concave; R 2 

 of fore wing lost; palpi recognizable. Egg like that of Callosamia (.but larger); 

 larva also similar, almost identical when young, but when mature with all the 

 warts good-sized, rounded, studded with minute conical black setae, which, on 

 most of the warts, form rings about their tips; subdorsal warts of second to 

 fourth segments of body more rounded, swollen, and tending to be discolorous ; 

 homologue of the caudal horn also swollen. Cocoon double, with a trapdoor at 

 the anterior end, as in Callosamia, but fastened longitudinally to a twig; when 

 first spun surrounded by an enclosure of leaves which soon weathers away. 



1. S. cecropia Linnaeus (Emperor). Body red, collar and abdomen striped with 

 white; wings blackish, powdery, more or less shaded with red, lines and marginal 

 markings about as in female promethea; antemedial line pale, defined with a 

 dark shade; postmedial white, nearly even, preceded with blackish and followed 

 by a wide red band; discal spots reniform, red and white, opaque; apical and 

 marginal marks about as in promethea; but with less crimson at apex, and with 

 some violet toward costa. Postmedial region blackish, with black spots along 

 its outer margin. Under side similar, much more powdery, the costa of hind 

 wing nearly white. 125-165 mm. (H 8:1.) 



One brood in June. Caterpillar on many trees and shrubs : apple, elm, wild 

 cherry, Spiraea, etc. When first hatched, black, gradually becoming red, orange, 

 yellow, yellow-green, and apple-green, the color-changes not always occurring at 

 moults. The enlarged warts are larger from the beginning. Full-grown larva 

 with subdorsal warts of meso- and metatliorax dull red, spotted with black cones, 

 those on first segment of abdomen orange-yellow, the rest pale yellow; laterals 

 all pale blue. (H 1:8). Skin grass-green in next to last stage, and the anterior 

 wafts scarlet, as in 8. Columbia. Cocoon fusiform, pointed at both ends, and 

 usually with one or both ends attached to the twig; the outer cocoon sometimes 

 much inflated, especially when spun on low shrubs. Silk reddish when fresh. 



Generally distributed, north to Quebec. Xew York : general, not rare. 



2. S. Columbia Smith. Similar to S. cecropia, much duller, with red shadings 

 reduced, body with a good deal of gray-brown; no red beyond postmedial line; 

 discal spots on fore wing obscure or wanting; less red in apical region; ocellus 

 usually with a small blue lunule only, and no brown, mostly black. Markings 

 often suffused in northern specimens. Iuj mm. (H 8:8.) 



One brood, June and July. Caterpillar similar to that of cecropia, but grass- 

 green in last stage, the anterior tubercles bright coral-red with black rings at 

 their bases. Food, larch only. Cocoon ash gray, mottled with silvery streaks, 

 more rounded than that of cecropia, and free at both ends. The western S. nokomis, 

 described as a variety of this species, belongs more probably to 8. gloveri. The 

 western limit of the true conifer-feeding Columbia is uncertain. 



Southern New Hampshire- to Michigan and northward. 



7. PHILOSAMIA Grote 

 (Samia; Attacus, in part) 



Xear Callosamia and Samia. Female antennae broader than usual; palpi slender 

 and reaching front ; fore wing with apex more produced than in Samia, fully as 

 much as in male promethea, with outer margin sharply bent in above middle. 

 R 2 very short, M 1 and M 2 hardly stalked, cells open, discal lunules transparent; hind 

 wing long on inner margin, especially in male. Abdomen with three rows of 

 small raised white tufts (in an exotic species with raised ridges). 



