MEMOIRS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 
229 
Pupa. — “Length, 10-22 nun. Body only moderately robust; shining, dark reddish brown; 
dorsal teeth at posterior margin of mesothorax, 12 in number, gradually decreasing in size from 
the center laterally, nearly rectangular, and without central indenture; two spines at tip of body 
rather long and narrow, somen'liat roughened, and each with an inner subapical tooth or branch, 
in this respect somewhat similar to the i)up{e of Schizura. The slender outer branch is irregular 
in length and direction, which, however, is generally outward.’’ 
(Riley MS.) 
Habits . — During 1880 a great amount of damage was done to 
the foliage of oak forests in at least two counties of Arkansas by 
this worm, which appeared in immense numbers in January. The 
following extract is taken from Professor Comstock’s account in 
his report as United States Entomologist (Agricultural Report, 
1880): 
There are probably two broods of the Yariable caterpillar iu the course 
of the season, altUongb but one, the fall hrood. seems to have hcen noticed. 
The moths appear iu the latter part of April or in early May, and between that time and late September, when the 
principal damage is doni^ by the worms, tliere is abundant time for two broods of caterpillars. 
Iu the District of Columbia for the last two years these larvae have been noticed very almndantly upon oak, 
hawthorn, and basswood, and doubtless feed upon other plants. In late September they bud reached their full 
si/.e and entered the ground, where, as wo gather from Mrs. Thomas’s letter, they lie most of the winter before- 
transforming. 
Professor Riley has sent us the following notes on its habits and food plants, which appeared 
in our report on Forest Insects: 
Two larvie of a Notodonta were found feeding on oak and persimmon, in Virginia, June 18, 1882. Another one 
was found Juno 20, also iu Virginia, feeding on walnut; and two more July 19, feeding on oak. (It also feeds on the 
white, post, and laurel oak, and linden.) One of the first found larvie spun up lictwoeu leaves July 10, and another 
one pupated on the surface of the ground July 21. The first moth issued August 5 and the other one August 12. 
Larvie of a second brood wex’o again found August BO, feeding on apple and black birch, and another full-grown 
one September 3, feeding on persimmon. 
Octouer 11, 1870: S. S. Kathvou describes it as injurious to tlie linden trees, stripping them and going from one 
tree to another lu the village of Lititz, near Lancaster, Pa. They went into the gronml about the 1st of September. 
The specimen ho sent had fifteen largo Tacliiiia-tly eggs attached transversely across the end and third joints. The 
white margin to the black strijm was missing, and the dark purple dorsal hand extends to stigmata on joints 6 and 
9 and to suhdorsum on 4 and 11 (box B, No. 29), also a variety in box B, No. 5B. 
October 17, 1870: Loiter found 2 under oak leaves, both of them like that I found on oak October 2, 1870. 
April 30, 1871 : One has issued from an exotic oak in Shaw’s Gardens [St. Louis, Mo.]. The markings arc much 
more ditfused, with a largo whitish discal spot on primaries. That marked 15^ from burr oak — Mnbleman, issued 
May 25, 1871. It is a variety and jicrfectly deceptive, like A'. taking the same tubular position. 
V’ery abundant in 1873. October 12, leaves falling, obtained many from post oak. Three most iiersistent forms 
blown, a (1 iu cage 12'), b (11 in cage 11), c (1 in cage 10). 
July 0, 1874 : The imagines have been issuing very irri'gnhirly. To-day I .sieved the cages, and especially 17, 
in which there were a number of all three forms. They now are all alike, and the head is the only characteristic 
part. All the color is gone from the body, which is now of a uniform piiris green, more or less mottled with a pale 
and dark shade, the vascular line dark aud broken. Many of these are now crawling about quite actively, while 
others are iu the pupa state and others issuing, 'fhey were all in a very alight elastic silken cocoon. 
September 20, 1871: A number of all sizes on oak, separated into three lots — a, in cage 12; b, in cage 10; c, in 
cage 5. They aro very variable, aud there are spoeimens iiitennediato between these three forms. Some have the 
colors very bright and distinct, and others less so. A lot found on linden, but afterwards feeding w’ell on oak, are 
all of the light form a iu cage 13. 
Nov'eiuber 21, 1871 : Iu sieving the cages containing forms a, b, aud c, they were found still in the larval state, 
some having made a tough silken cocoon, others made one only of a few threads, while some had no cocoons at all, 
but bad iiiade a smooth cavity iu the earth. In cage 5 were found two large Tachiua larvie, certainly from form c, 
one of which is preserved in box 7-10. April 10, 1875, one Tacliiua tly issued, marked 359-'. One moth issued April 
10, 1875, the larva of •which w as found on linden, but fed also on oak in cage 13, where there arc many more in the 
ground. Braconid iiarasite bred Octolier, 1874. October 26, 1875: Nine from oak, all near form h. 
‘ ‘ J'Sgtjs in August, Larva' iu April, J line, July, September, and October (winter as larvie, transforming sometimes 
as late as July). in April, May, June, July, August.” (Kiley MS.) 
Food plants . — DiHerent species of oak, ineluduig the vhite, post, burr, and laurel oak; 
hawthorn, basswood, xiersinunon, walnut, apple, black birch; in Georgia it lives on Pinchneya 
pnhens (Abbot’s MS. drawings, Gray copy, Dost. Soc. Nat. Hist.); linden, oak (Riley MS)., 
