THE AMEKICAN CLOSTEEA. 433 



sects can be seen through them ; but they are protected 

 by their situation, or by the dead leaves and other matters 

 under which they are , made. As soon as the cocoons are 

 finished, the insects become chrysalids 

 (Fig. 215), and remain quiet through F ' 8- 215 ' 



the winter ; and about the middle of 

 June, or somewhat later, they are trans- 

 formed to moths. They belong to the genus Closteka, or 

 spinner, so named on account of the spinning habits of the 

 caterpillars. The antennas are narrowly feathered or pec- 

 tinated in both sexes ; the thorax has an elevated crest in 

 the middle ; the tail is tufted and turned up at the end, in 

 the males ; the fore lege are thickly covered with hairs to the 

 end, and are stretched out before the body when the insect is 

 at rest. 



Our poplar spinner may be called Qbstera Americana^ 

 the American Clostera. (Plate VI. Fig. 12.) It closely 

 resembles the European anastomosis, from which, however, 

 it differs essentially in its caterpillar state, and the moth 

 presents certain characters, which, on close comparison with 

 the European insect, will enable us to distinguish it from 

 the latter. It is of a brownish-gray color; the fore wings 

 are faintly tinged with pale lilac, and more or less cloud- 

 ed with rust-red ; they have an irregular row of blackish 

 dots near the outer hind margin, and are crossed by three 

 whitish lines, of which the first nearest the shoulders is 

 broken and widely separated in the middle, the second 

 divides into two branches, one of which goes straight across 

 the wing to the inner margin, and the other passes obliquely 

 .till it meets the end of the third line, with which it forms an 

 angle or letter V ; across the middle of the hind wings there 

 is a narrow brownish band, much more distinct beneath than 

 above ; on the top of the thorax there is an oblong chestnut- 



[ 2S This name cannot stand. It is the C. inclusa, Hiibner, Zutr. Dr. Harris has 

 somewhere said thaf he had n.o opportunity of consulting Hubner's works, and 



hence is not to be blamed for naming what he conceived to be a new species. 



Morris.] 



55 



