MELITfEA I. 
Mature Larya. — Length, from 1.1 to 1.3 inch; cylindrical, the extreme seg¬ 
ments smallest, the others equal; the dorsum and sides armed with seven rows 
of long, tapering, fleshy, black spines, each of which springs from a round, shin¬ 
ing, blue-black tubercle, the tubercles of each segment nearly meeting; each 
spine bristling with stout black hairs; there is also another row. of similar, 
but much smaller spines, below the spiracles ; in this row the fourth segment has 
no spine, the fifth to tenth two each, in line, the eleventh one, the twelfth a 
tubercle without spine ; on the under side of the body, on fifth and sixth seg¬ 
ments, in line with the legs, is a single small tubercle, with a short, branching 
spine, and between the pairs of legs on the same segments are several minute 
tubercles, with tufts of hair from each; the second, third, and part of fourth, and 
the last two or three segments bl.ack; the others deep red-fulvous, striped trans¬ 
versely with black, one stripe running with the spines, one covering the junction 
of the segments, and another anterior to this last; under side orange, with a 
black ventral stripe; legs black, pro-legs smoky-brown; head black, bilobed, 
tuberculated and covered with short black hairs. The larvae live in colonies, in 
webs of their own construction, until the hybernating period is over. 
Chrysalis. — Length, .8 inch; cylindrical, with a rounded dorsal excavation 
below the mesonotum ; head case narrow, truncated, compressed transversely ; 
mesonotum rounded, slightly prominent at summit; abdomen and thorax fur¬ 
nished with several rows of tubercles, those ol the medio-dorsal and first lateral 
rows prominent, pointed, the rest scarcely raised above the surface ; color vary¬ 
ing from pearl to pure white, marked and spotted with brownish-black; the 
tubercles orange, each marked anteriorly by a black crescent; a broad black 
band passes along the lower side from one extremity to the other, bifurcating 
at top of head ; an irregular band more or less edged with orange crosses the 
wing cases, and the hind margins of the wings discover brown serrations; 
along the dorsum, at the posterior part of each segment, are four abbreviated 
black marks, set obliquely as radiating from a common centre ; between the 
medio-dorsal and first lateral tubercles, and between these last and the second 
laterals are two black dots, placed vertically on each segment, and there is also 
an oblique mark behind each of the first laterals; other dots and marks on the 
head cases. (Fig. h.) 
There is much variation in the extent of the black bands; some specimens also 
have the abdomen largely suffused with orange. Duration of this stage from four¬ 
teen to eighteen days. 
This beautiful species is found as far northward as the Lake of the Woods, 
and in the States, from Maine to Wisconsin; also in Virginia, and the States 
