302 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



The Hooded Owlets, Cucullia (Cu-cul'li-a). — We have 

 several common grayish moths, in which the fore wings are 

 marked with numerous irregular dashes of dark color, and 



in which the thorax is furnished 

 with a prominent tuft of scales. 

 These moths belong to the genus 

 Cucullia. Figure 362 represents 

 Cucullia speyeri (C. spey'er-i). 

 These insects evidently have 

 kig 362 -Cucuiua speyeri. the power of moving this tuft 



of scales ; for sometimes it projects forward over the head as 

 shown in the figure, while in other specimens of the same 

 species it will be directed backward ; in this case it is much 

 less conspicuous. The larvae of the Hooded Owlets feed 

 upon the leaves of goldenrod and other Composite. 



The Scalloped Owlet, Scoleopteryx libatrix (Scol-e-op'ter- 

 yx li-ba'trix). — This moth is easily recognized by the shape 

 of the wings, the outer margins of which are deeply cut and 

 scalloped (Fig. 363). The 

 color of the fore wings is soft 

 brownish gray, slightly pow- 

 dered with rust - red, and 

 frosted with white along the 

 costa. There is an irregular FiG - ^.—ScoieJpteryx libatrix. 

 patch of rust-red reaching from the base to the middle of 

 the wing, a single, white, transverse line before the middle, 

 and a double one beyond the middle. The larva feeds on 



willow. This species is found in 

 all parts of the United States 

 and in Europe. 



The American Copper Hind- 

 wing, Amphipyra pyramidoides 

 (Am-phip'y-ra pyr-a-mi-doi'des). 

 — The fore wings of this moth 

 shaded with paler brown, and 



FiG. 364. — Amphipyra pyramidoides. 



(Fig. 364) are dark brown 



with dots and wavy lines of a glassy gray or dull whitish 



