58 HYPONOMEUTID ©. 
Not uncommon in July; the gregarious larva feeds on haw- 
thorn in June. 
Genus II]. HYPONOMEUTA. 
Hyronomervra, Zell. Isis, 1844. p. 199. Yponomeuta, Step. ; Dup. 
Nygmia, Hib. Yponomeuta p., Lat.; Treit. Hrminea p., Haw. 
Capilli depressi. Ocelli nulli. Palpi Tabiales breviusculi, reflexi, /ili- 
Sormes, subacuti. Haustellum mediocre, xudum. Ale elongate, bre- 
viter ciliate; posteriores foveola hyalina basali. Ale anteriores : 
vena apicalis simplex; cellula secundaria penfecta ; vena subdorsalis 
furcata; posteriores: cellula costalis in medio contracta; vena me- 
diana bifida. 
Head smooth (in a single continental species, HZ. rufimitrellus, Zell., 
rough). Ocelli none. Labial palpi rather short, reflexed, filiform, 
hardly pointed. Tongue of moderate length, naked. Wings elongate, 
with short cilia; the posterior with a hyaline patch at the base. In the 
anterior wings, the apical vein is simple; the secondary cell is com- 
plete; the subdorsal vein furcate. In the posterior wings, the costal 
cell is contracted in the middle; the median vein is bifid. 
The perfect insects of this genus are readily known by the nu- 
merous small black spots on the white or grey anterior wings ; 
their flight is sluggish. Only one species, H. vigintipunctatus, is 
double-brooded ; of all the others there is only one brood cach 
year. This is fortunate; for the gregarious habits of the larvee, and 
their numbers, render them extremely destructive to our fruit- 
trees and hedges. A spindle-tree or an apple-tree, stripped of its 
leaves in the middle of summer, and covered with white webs 
formed by these larvee, is no uncommon sight. ‘The larvae of most 
of the species are hatched in the autumn, but remain under a glu- 
tinous covering during the winter, and donot commence their de- 
predations till the appearance of the young leaves in spring, when 
a sudden d/ight changes the face of vegetation, or in other words 
these larvee quit their winter-quarters, having been fixed through- 
out the winter on the very same twigs where their ravages now 
become so conspicuous. ‘The larvae remain in company during 
the whole period of their existence, and spin their cocoons in close 
proximity with each other. 
Much confusion has prevailed with the synonymy of two of the 
species of this genus, Linnaeus having described the larva of one 
species, naming the insect from its habits, whereas the perfect 
insect he describes is a distinct species; it therefore becomes an 
