324 THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



with black. The hind wings are red, pink, or yellow, and 

 are margined or spotted with black. The thorax is usually 

 marked with three black stripes, of which the lateral ones 

 are borne by the patagia. There is also a black line or a 

 row of black spots along the middle of the back of the ab- 

 domen, and a similar row of spots on each side. Our most 

 common species of this genus is Eyprepia virgo (Fig. 396). 

 The larva of this species feeds on pigweed and other un- 

 cultivated plants. 



Family LlTHOSllD^ (Lith-o-si'i-dae). 

 The Footman-moths or Lithosiids {Li-t ho' si-ids). 



The Lithosiidae include small moths with rather slender 

 bodies, filiform antennae, and usually narrow front wings and 

 broad hind wings. As a rule they are closely scaled insects 

 of sombre colors, a fact that has won for them the title of 

 Footman-moths; but in case of some of the species their 

 livery is very gay. Some species fly by day, while others 

 are attracted to lights at night. 



This family is closely allied to the Arctiidae ; in fact it is 

 sometimes difficult to tell to which of these families a species 

 belongs. Usually the Footman-mothd can be distinguished 

 by the absence of ocelli ; but some species possess very small 

 ones. The palpi are small or moderately developed ; the 

 maxillae are present and quite well developed. The vena- 

 tion of the wmgs differs greatly in the different genera ; but 

 in its more important features it resembles that of the Arc- 

 tiidae. 



The larvae are cylindrical and covered with short, stiff 

 hairs. The majority of the species whose transformations 

 are known feed upon lichens. They transform in very deli- 

 cate cocoons or have naked pupae. Among our more com- 

 mon species are the following: — 



The Pale Footman, Crambidia pallida (Cram-bid'i-a pal'- 

 li-da. — This moth is of a uniform drab color, with the abdo- 

 men and the inner part of hind wings paler; it expands nine 



