380 MISC. PUBLICATION 657, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
hawthorn, hickory, maple, oak, sassafras, yellow poplar, and willow. 
The moths emerge from May to early in August, larvae are found 
from June to October, and pupation takes place within a dense cocoon, 
which is generally enclosed in a leaf. The winter is passed in the 
pupal stage in the cocoon, which usually drops to the ground. 
The larva of the io moth (Awtomeris io (F.)) is spiny and is about 
2 inches long when full grown. The head is pea green, glossy, and 
with black ocelli, and the body is cylindrical and pea green with a 
broad reddish spiracular stripe on each side edged below with a 
white stripe and another reddish line below the white stripe. The 
spiracles are yellowish, narrowly ringed with black. Each segment 
of the body has branched spines arising in whorls from small conical 
tubercles as follows: 8 on segments 1 to 5 and 10, 6 on segments 6 to 
9, 5 on the eleventh, and 7 on the twelfth. These spines cause a net- 
thing effect when in contact with the human skin. Most of the spines 
are yellowish tipped with black. The thoracic legs and the ends of 
the abdominal legs are reddish brown (fig. 72, 7). 
This species is distributed from the Atlantic coast west to Colo- 
rado and New Mexico, and from Canada south to Florida and Mexico. 
Its larvae feed on various deciduous growths, including birch, black- 
berry, wild black cherry, currant, cotton, black locust, poplars, and 
willows. The moths emerge in June and July, the larvae are gre- 
garious during the early instars, and are found from July to Septem- 
ber, pupation takes place within a rather tough oval cocoon often en- 
closed in leaves, and the winter is passed in the pupal stage, usually 
on the ground. It is sometimes abundant locally. 
The full-grown larva of the buck moth (Hemileuca maia (Drury) } 
is about 21% inches in length. The head is deep, reddish brown, the 
body dull brownish to black covered with small, pale, yellowish dots 
and without stripes, and the spiracles are pale, narrowly oval. Each 
segment has tufts of bristles or compound spines arising from tubercles 
as follows: 8 on segments 1 to 5 and 10, 6 on segments 6 to 9, 5 on the 
eleventh, and 7 on the twelfth; the two tufts of bristles on the top of 
each of segments 2 to 10 and one on segment 11 are rusty brown tipped 
with black, and those on segment 2 also have a compound black spine. 
The compound spines are tubular and black at the base with branches 
sharply pointed and black at tip, many with white bands. The tho- 
racic legs are reddish brown, and the abdominal legs dull reddish 
(fig. 72,G@). This species ranges from southern New Hampshire south 
to Georgia and west to Oklahoma, and its larvae feed gregariously on 
oak. The moths emerge in September and October, the eggs are depos- 
ited in clusters, usually encirchng a twig, and the larvae may be found 
from May to August. 
ITemileuca lucina Hy. Edw. is closely related to (7. maia and the 
two species are often confused. The larvae of H. ducina have a broken, 
pale-yellowish stigmatal stripe, and the spines are shorter. The 
principal food plant is Spiraea salicifolia, but they are also found on 
wild black cherry, gray birch, and oak. Often they are abundant 
locally in swampy areas in the Northeastern States. 
Hemileuca nevadensis Stretch, the Nevada buck moth, is a western 
species ranging eastward into the Great Plains, and its larvae com- 
monly feed on poplar and willow. It was reported as abundant and 
injurious to poplar (cottonwood) in Nebraska in 1922. The biology 
and appearance are very similar to those of H. maia. 
