Page:Jardine Naturalist's Library Exotic Moths.djvu/221

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SPILOSOMA VIRGO.
175

the extremities; neck red, with two small black streaks above it; thorax with a black stripe in the centre and another on each side; abdomen with three rows of black spots, those along the back being largest. Anterior thighs red, having two black spots on them close to the head.

Abbot has given an accurate delineation of the caterpillar. It is dark brown, with five pale or yellow longitudinal stripes, each segment bearing a transverse row of fulvous tubercles from which springs a dense tuft of brown hairs. It feeds on a great variety of plants, but it seems to prefer plantain (Plantago major), Indian corn, and pease. A specimen kept by Abbot was hatched on the 23d of July, spun the 28th August, and the fly appeared September 9th. The chrysalis has five reddish bands, and terminates in a small mucro.



SPILOSOMA VIRGO.

PLATE XIX. Fig. 3.

Phalæna Virgo, Linn.; Abbot and Smith, Lepid. Georg., ii. pl. 62.—Bombyx Virgo, Fabr.; Encyc. Meth.

The antennæ of this handsome moth are ferruginous: thorax cream coloured or fulvous, with three broad black stripes, and two small spots of the same