522 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



long, light pea-green in color, with a magenta stigmatal band bordered 

 below with creamy white. The body is clothed with spreading, black- 

 tipped, delicate green spines. The moth has a wing spread of 2^-3 

 inches and is easily recognized by the conspicuous purple-centered eye 

 spots on the hind wings [pi. 43, fig. 1, 2]. The gregarious habit of this 

 species makes its depredations more noticeable, though it is a very general 

 feeder. It has been recorded by various writers on oak, elm, locust, 

 maple, cherry, ash, beech, poplar, birch, black alder, sassafras and other 

 trees and some herbaceous plants. 



Definite marked tussock moth 



Hemerocampa dcfinita Pack. 



A yellow-headed, light yellowish, tufted caterpillar closely resembling that of the 

 white marked tussock moth, feeds on oak and a number of other trees. 



This species is much rarer in New York State than the more common 

 white marked tussock moth, Hemerocampa leucostigma Abb. & 

 Sm., and the larva can be best separated therefrom by its yellowish head. 

 It possesses about the same habits as its ally, and while Dr Thaxter gives 

 oak as its food plant, Dr Dyar states that in practice he has found this 

 caterpillar as omnivorous as its more common, closely related ally. The 

 full grown caterpillar has been described by Dr Dyar as follows : 



Male (6th stage). Head pale yellow, shiny, the labrum and antennae 

 white ; width 2.8 mm. Body pale yellow, a pale, almost colorless, dorsal 

 band, replaced on joint two by the pale yellow cervical shield containing 

 two darker yellow warts, narrow and greenish on joints three and four, 

 widening and enclosing the yellow dorsal brushlike tufts on joints five to 

 eight, narrowed on joints nine to 12 enclosing the concolorous retractile 

 tubercles, and absent on joint 13. A narrow, subdorsal and fainter stig- 

 matal, similarly colored line. These bands are in some specimens more 

 or less blackish, or black, blue gray, or dark brown, and there is a velvet) 

 black spot between the dorsal tufts on joints six, seven and eight. The 

 warts are all pale yellow ; the pencils on joint two are long, plumed, black ; 

 that on joint 12 of light brown hair with a few long black plumed ones on 

 its posterior side. The other hair is long, thin and white. 



Female ( 7th stage). Head pale yellow minutely mottled with grayish 

 spots ; labrum, antennae and a spot before the eyes, white ; ocelli and jaws 



