132 
MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 
tan colored hairs, and it has an interrupted stripe of brown on either 
side and a brown band between each of the segments. The insect 
passes the winter in its hairy cocoon, and in the following June 
appears as a moth. 
Larva of Cycnia egel. 
On the milkweed may often be seen numbers of little caterpillars 
covered with tufts of black, white and orange hairs. These are the 
harlequin caterpillars, and are the larvse of a plain little blue-gray 
moth, Cycnia egel , which makes its appearance the latter part of 
June, after having passed the winter in the pupa state in its oval 
hairy cocoon. The abdomen of the moth is yellow above, with a 
row of black dots down the back, resembling the Arctians. 
Utetheisia bella Is a very beautiful moth, and is widely distributed 
over this country. Its habits are similar to a following species, the 
soldier moth, and it is often found in low grassy districts in con¬ 
siderable numbers, taking to wing readily when disturbed. When 
handled it exudes an oily substance with a peculiar odor, and remains 
perfectly still, as if dead, soon, however, taking wing if not further 
molested. These habits, combined with a probably very bitter taste, 
have doubtless preserved this gayly colored little creature from ex¬ 
tinction. The larva is one and a half inches long, and is yellow and 
white in color sprinkled with black dots. It feeds on herbaceous 
lowland plants. 
The anchor moth, Callimorpha interrupto marginata , is a rather 
rare moth, and is about the same size and marked with brown similar 
to the soldier moth, except that it is yellowish where the other 
species is white. 
