LEPIDOPTERA. 



313 



Family Agaristid^ (Ag-a-ris'ti-dse). 

 The Wood-nymph Moths. 



These gayly-dressed moths are a delight to the collector. 

 We have but few species of them in this country, and an 

 even smaller number are common. These moths are either 

 black with large, white or yellow, rounded patches upon the 

 wings, or they have the front wings white, margined with 

 brown, and the hind wings pale yellow. They are chiefly 

 day-flying ; but some of them ^re attracted to lights at 

 night. 



The shape of the antennae varies greatly in the different 

 genera. In But hisanotia 

 the antennae are fili- "*7^^^<$^ "i* 

 form ; in Alypia slightly 

 enlarged near the tip ; 

 and in Psychomorpha 

 they are filiform in the 

 female and pectinated 

 in the male. The max- 

 illae are moderately well 

 developed and spirally 

 rolled. The venation 

 of the wings (Fig. 379) 

 is very similar to that 

 of some Noctuids ; but 

 there is no difficulty in 

 separating the two fam- 

 ilies, the Wood-nymph 

 Moths bein^ verv dif- Fig. 379.— wings of G7//^o'^j^/^7rr/. 



ferent in appearance from any Noctuids. 



The larvae are but slightly clothed, and live exposed on 

 the leaves of plants. Our more common species feed 

 chiefly on grape and Virginia-creeper, which they some- 

 times injure to a serious extent. In such cases they can be 

 destroyed by the use of Paris green. This substance can 



