256 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



The question whether dispar shall remain under the genus 

 Ocneria depends on whether it has the same generic charac- 

 ters as ruhea. If it has, then it should remain with ruhea, 

 otherwise it should be placed under the genus Porthetria. 

 To settle this question to my own satisfaction, I sent to 

 Europe and obtained specimens of Ocneria ruhea^ and, after 

 a critical study of the structure, I am convinced that the two 

 insects are not congeneric, and must be placed under difler- 

 ent genera. On showing the insects to Prof. J. B. Smith, 

 he agreed with me in my conclusions, and in a letter from 

 Prof. A. E. Grote of Bremen, Germany, I learned that he 

 had independently reached the same conclusion. I therefore 

 feel obliged to adopt the name Porthetria dispar, given by 

 Hiibner over seventy years ago. In all our previous pub- 

 lications, however, the name Ocneria dispar has been used, 

 following Staudinger's catalogue. 



Common Names. 



The following are some of the common names which have 

 been given to this insect in different European countries. We 

 have adopted the common name gypsy moth," because it is 

 the one most frequently used in England, and has already 

 come into very general use in this country. This name was 

 first given to it, so far as I can learn, by Wilkes, in 1741 ; 

 and Humphreys, in his British Moths," says that "the 

 popular name of the gypsy was no doubt suggested by the 

 brown, tanned kind of color of the male." 



ScHWAMMSPiNNER : FuDgus-spmner. The egg-cluster resembles a 



small tree fungus. 

 DiCKKOPr : Thick-head. The head of the caterpillar is unusually 



large. 



EosENSPiNNER : Rose-spinuer. They feed on rose bushes. 

 Apricosenspinner : Apricot-spinner. 



Stammphal^ne : Stem-moth. The moths rest on the trunks of 

 trees. 



Grosskopf : Great-head. 



Baumraupe : Tree-caterpillar. 



ScHWAMMRAUPE : Fungus-caterpillar. 



Grosse Schwammraupe : Great fungus-caterpillar. 



ScHWAMMMOTTE : Fuugus-moth. 



Stammraupe : Stem-caterpillar. 



Grosskopfspinner s Great-head spinner. 



