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ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-VORK 
tinct genus, named Clisiocampa. This genus was formed by Mr. 
Curtis, for the reception of two common European moths, which 
are most intimately related, both in their appearance and habits 
to our American insect, one of them named C. Neustria , strip¬ 
ping the foilage from the fruit trees in Europe, and forming its 
nests upon the trees in the same manner as does our caterpillar. 
It was hence formerly supposed that our insect was probably 
identical with the Neustria. The botanist Sir James Edwin 
Smith, however, in editing Abbot’s notes and drawings of the 
Lepidopterous insects of Georgia, deeming that another American 
moth which has been named Clisiocampa sylvatica by Dr. Harris, 
was the Neustria , supposed this was the other European species, 
and accordingly published it as the castrensis of Linnseus. It is 
to Dr. Harris that we are indebted for setting this subject in its 
correct light, and showing that both our American species are 
distinct from those of Europe. And he accordingly named our 
apple-tree caterpillar Clisiocampa Americana , or the American 
lackey moth, the name lackey being the current English desig¬ 
nation for these moths, in consequence of the blue, red and 
yellow stripes upon the caterpillars having some resemblance to 
those on the coats in which the lackeys or footmen are dressed. 
About the only difference which can be discerned between our 
American lackey moth and the Neustria , is in the two stripes 
upon its fore wings, they being straight and parallel in our insect, 
whereas in that of Europe these stripes diverge slightly, so that 
at their inner ends especially, they are more distant from each 
other than in the middle. But as the colors and stripes are sub¬ 
ject to considerable variations, we could not be fully assured that 
the insects of the two continents are distinct by merely examin¬ 
ing them in their perfect state. When we come to look at their 
larva;, however, all doubts upon this subject vanish, the cater¬ 
pillar of the Neustria having three red stripes along each side, 
which do not appear in our caterpillar, and it is destitute of the 
rows of light blue spots on the sides which we always find in 
the latter. And if any further evidence was necessary as to the 
correctness of Dr. Harris in regarding these insects as being dis¬ 
tinct species, we have it in some of the habits of the caterpillars- 
The European insect attacks almost all kind of trees, evergreens 
