r54 
SATURNIA MAIA. 
PLATE XVI. Fig. 1. 
Plial. (Bombyx) Maia, Drury's Exot. Ins.; Cramer, Pap. Exot., 
pi. 98, fig. A. — Bombyx Proserpina, Fair. Abbot and Smith's 
Lepid. Georg., pi. 50 ; Encyc. Meth. 
This species is of comparatively small size, but it is 
rendered very conspicuous by the strongly defined 
character of its colours. It seldom expands much 
beyond two inches and a half ; head and antennae 
black, the latter strongly pectinated. Wings thin 
and filmy, nearly transparent, black, with a broad 
white bar running across the centre; the anterior 
pair having a half-formed eye on the inner side of 
the white bar, and the posterior an angular black 
spot on the white bar, before the middle. Thorax 
light grey anteriorly, the other parts black ; abdo- 
men likewise black, the extremity orange. On the 
under side the abdomen is grey, with white spots at 
the side, extremity orange. Legs black, thighs 
orange. 
The caterpillar (Plate XYI. fig. 2) frequents the 
red oak ( Qttercus rubra, Linn.), as well as other 
American species of Quercus. They vary much in 
colour, according to age. That figured on the plate 
