226 



THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



Family Pyromorphid^E (Pyr-o-mor'phi-dae). 



The Smoky-moths, 



There are but few insects in our country pertaining to 

 this family. These are small moths, that are 

 chiefly of a smoky black color ; some are 

 marked with brighter colors. 

 ^thus /risariul' A tiny representative of the family which 

 seems to be not uncommon in the East is Acoloithus fal- 

 sarins (Ac-o-loi'thus fal-sa'ri-us). This moth (Fig. 265) 

 expands two thirds of an inch. It is black, with the pro- 

 thorax of an orange color. The venation of its wings (Fig. 

 266) is peculiar in that subcosta and radius of the hind wings 

 coalesce for only a short ui^ jjj^ jj2 



distance beyond the mid- 

 dle of the discal cell, and 

 a stump of radius pro- i 

 jects towards the base 

 of the wing, from the 

 point of union of the two 

 veins. The larva feeds 

 in early summer on the 

 leaves of grape and of 

 the Virginia creeper. It 

 is said that the pupa 

 state lasts fourteen days 

 and is passed within a parchment-like cocoon. The adult 

 frequents flowers in the daytime. 



The typical genus of the family is represented in the At- 

 lantic and Western States by Pyromorpha dimidiata (Pyr-o- 

 mor'pha di-mid-i-a'ta). The entire insect is smoky black, 

 except the basal half of the fore wings in front of vein IX, 

 and the basal half of the costa of the hind wings, which are 

 yellow. The wings are thinly scaled, and expand a little 

 more than one inch. Figure 267 represents the venation of 

 the wings. 



IX VIII 

 Fig. 266. — Wings of Acoloithus falsarius. 



