82 
The Smeared Dagger. 
(.Apatela oblinita, Sm. & Abb.) 
Order Lepidoptera. Family Noctuid.®. 
[Plate YI, Fig. 3.1 
TIip larva of this species is a caterpillar covered with red bristles 
proceeding from crimson warts, with a bright yellow band along the 
sides IUias never been reported as especia ly injurious but leeds 
on the strawberry, together with a number of other plants. 
LITERATURE. 
Tt was originally described m Smith and Abbott s Daiei Lep 
It was originally t „ • 1797 d reported to teed on the 
lonterous Insects ot Heoigia, in n wi«70 /-n 97^ t 
-otton and willow. In the American Entomologist foi 18/0, (p. ^5,) 
Prof Kdey noted its injuries to the grape, and its occurrence on a 
^ I 'I+vr nf esneciallv the common smart-weed ( Poly - 
ZTuinhldrJpiper) In his report as State Entomologist of Missouri 
for That year*^he described and figured imago, larva and pupa and 
gave an outline of the life history of the spe.es a. far as know 
tmrl rlpqerintions of three of its parasites. He luitiier sam mai 
eats cotton and asparagus, has been very numerous on peach trees, 
and sometimes denudes both the apple and the willow. 
It was first mentioned as a strawberry insect by Mi. 1 lam 
Saunders in the Third Report of the Ontario Entomological Society, 
already frequently cited, and was also reported there to eat the iasp- 
berryandthcf Lombardy poplar. Its occurrence m large numbers n 
Pennsylvania upon smart-weed (Polygonum) is reported m the tto 
ceedings of the Philadelphia Academy tor 187o, by Mr. Gentry, wuo 
also gives some notes on its life history. 
4 summary account of the species may be found m the seventh 
Report T“m y this office; Bom/addition*^ 
history are given in the tenth volume of the Canadian Hntomoio 
gist (p. 66); a note of its abundance in New York 
Ss e oteTfesIrTbe P d more'or lS’filly byVrof.Aerkhis by Pro! 
Erench and bv Mr Goquillett,-by the last-named writer in the 
Tenth Report of the State Entomologist of Illinois, where the hazel 
and corn are added to the list of its food plants. . • ^ 
scription from his third report leaves little to be desired. 
DESCRIPTION. 
“Imago. [Plate VI, Fig. 8, c]. . Front wings oblong apex mor® 
or less prolonged; posterior margin sometimes rounded, sometim . 
straight^ color asffigray, caused by numerous dark-brown atom 
more or less suffused on a white ground, from which the ordin J 
* Third report, p. 70. 
