104 
MEMOIKS OF TUE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 
Larva (fall fed). — Head subrotund, dark brown, and two lines on the front lighter brown. 
Body with the thoracic segments tapering; terminal segments tapering and flattened posteriorly; 
ventral region flattened, the anal legs projecting behind. Color of the body, gray; numerous fine 
black linings, among which maybe traced two forming a vascular stripe and two similar lateral 
stripes on each side. On segment 1, anteriorly, are four dorsal white lines; postenorl 3 % black; 
segment 2 is black anteriorly, behind which are irregular black linings; segment 3, as the preceding 
one; on segments a to 10 the dorsal black linings assume a. V shape, the apes resting on the suture 
and inclosing centrally two yellow-green subelliptical spots, with a similar si)ot exterior to each 
within the superior lateral stripe. 
From the first segment long whitish brown hairs project over the head, nearly concealing it; 
from the middle of the *second and third segments whitish hairs project forward, of which those 
oil the latter segment are shorter and arranged somewhat in tufts, beneath which, when extended, 
some short, still’, red hairs are seen; laterally below the stigmata are two rows of fascicles of white 
hairs of unequal length, mingled with a few longer brown ones, extending rectangularly with the 
body until to its middle, whence the remainder are directed backward; from the terminal segment 
white and brown hairs, of greater length than elsewhere on the body, project horizontally, brush- 
like, backward; short whitish hairs are vseattered sparsely over the body. (The larva escaped 
before its description could be completed, and the remainder is from memory.) On the vascular 
line on each segment is a tuft of black hairs about O.OfJ inch long, the ends of Avhich converge to a 
point. The prolegs project laterally, almost hidden by the hairs. Yentrally is a broad fuscous 
stripe. (Lintner.) 
Habits. — Lintner found eight or ten larvm near Albany, early in September, feeding on the 
ash, and Mr. IMeske collected them from the lilac [Syrlnga vulgaris). When not eating, they 
usually occurred resting on and closely appressed to a twig. The first transformation to a pupa 
was on September 14. The larva lias a marked gastropachan asjiect. (Lintner.) 
Food plants. — Ash and Syringa. 
Geographical distrih^ition. — Medford, Mass. (W. II. Dali, Mus. Comp. Zool. Cambridge); 
eastern New Y"ork (Lintner, Meske); Plattsburg, N. Y. (Hudson); Middle Atlantic States (Grote, 
Coll. Amer. Ent. Soc. Phil.); Ontario, Canada; New York, New Jersey (Palm); North Carolina,. 
Ohio, Irvington, 111. (French); Enterprise, Fla. (Thaxter). 
Var. iudistincta H. Edwards. 
Ajyatelodes indistincia Edw. Ent. Amor., ii, p. 13, April, 1886. 
Smith, List Lep. Bor. Amer., p. 29, 1891. 
Kirby, Syn. Cat. Lep. Het., i, p. 852, 1892. 
“ Var. iudhthicia, Nenm. and Dyar, Trans^. Amer. Ent. Soc., p. 184, 1894. 
Primaries of a grayish drab, tinted with reddish, the lines and marks all obsolete: the 
surface dotted with black irrorations. There is near the apex a semitransparent sijuare spot, 
with a smaller one beneath it. The fringe is reddish chestnut. The secondaries are reddish 
testaceous, without marks. Underside wholly reddish fawn-color, with a few black and brown 
specks, but wholly without the dark shading so conspicuous in A, torrefacta. Thorax color of 
primaries. Abdomen reddish testaceous, with brown dots. Expanse of wings, 35 mm.; length of 
body, 18 mm., 1 $ . Indian Eiver, Florida, Coll. B. Neumoegen, (Ent. Amer., ii, p. 13); Florida 
(French). 
Subfamily III. — PYa^EKiN^E. 
Head rather large, the front rather broad; the auteiime ciliated, not pectinated in the male. 
The body and Avings are usually, and in all the species of Datana, reddish ocherous, the fore wings- 
being crossed by from four to five straight parallel lines. Egg oral cylindrical, smooth; top 
depressed. 
Laiwa brightly banded and very hairy; no tubercles, the body being smooth. They spin 
no cocoon, but pupate deep in the earth. ^ 
^ Harris says of D. mlnisira'. ‘‘When ready to transform, all the individuals of the same brood quit the tree at 
once, descending by night, and burrow into the ground to the depth of 3 or 4 inches, and, within twenty-four 
hours afterward.s, cast their caterpillar skins, and become chrysalids without making cocoons. They remain in the 
ground in this state all winter, and are changed to moths and come out between the middle and end of July.’^ 
(Treatise, p. 430.) 
