34fi FIFTH KEPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 
from maplf. These larva-, having molted at least four (probably live) times, pupate 
from the latter part of July to the end of September J the pupal state lasts from 
eighteen to twenty day>, the imegOfl flying from the middle of September until the 
last of October in New England. The larva- are not rate upon Betula alba and B. 
lutea. 
6. Thk sii.vek SPOTTKD hkpia: 
Hepialus argenteomaculatus Harris. 
Mr. S. Lowell Elliott has made the interesting discovery that this 
tine insect during its larval state probably bores into the trunks of the 
chestnut, M he took the chrysalis from a chestnut stump, in June, on 
Long Island. 
We have in the United States twenty-five described species of Hepi- 
alus. some of which are undoubtedly synonyms, as pointed out to us by 
Mr. Henry Edwards. But of the larval habits of these, say twenty 
species, nothing is known. In Europe the Hepialus hamali bores in the 
roots of the hop vine. Judging by the frequency with which our Hepi- 
alus mustelinus occurs as a moth resting on the trunk and branches of 
the spruce, growing amid ferns, I am inclined to think that we may 
possibly find the larva boring in the roots of ferns growing in spruce 
woods. 
So far as I have been able to ascertain the larva 3 of the European 
species of Hepialus feed on the roots of herbaceous plants ; thus, ac- 
cording to Staiuton, the larva of Hepialus hectus " feeds on the leaves 
of the dandelion : " that of H. lupulinus u on the roots of herbaceous 
plants:" that of H. humuli is found u at the roots of hop, burdock, net- 
tle, etc. ;" H.velleda feeds ou the roots of the common fern {Pteris 
aquilina), while the larva of H. sylvinus is unknown. 
Harris states that the empty pupa skins of this or of an allied species 
M)inetiines found on our sea-beaches. 
Fig. 130. Hepialus argrnttomacidatus —Marx del. 
Moth.— The body is light brown: the fore-wings are of a very p a l e ashen brown 
color, variegated with darker clouds and oblique' wavy bands, and are ornamented 
with two silvery white spots near the base, at the inner angles of the discoidal cells : 
