Plate [VII]. fig. 2.
Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Nocturna. Family: Arctiidæ, Steph.
Genus. Callimorpha, Latr. Leach. Hypercompa, Steph. Heraclia, Hubner. Phalæna Bombyx, Drury.
Callimorpha Phyllira. Alis anticis nigris lineis albidis apicalibus, literam B referentibus; posticis sanguineis maculis nigris. (Expans. Alar. 1 unc. 6 lin.)
Syn. Phalæna (Bombyx) Phyllira, Drury, Append. v. 2. Olivier, Enc. Méth. 5. 94. 236. Abbot and Smith, Ins. Georg. tab. 64.
Habitat: New York; taken on the 12th day of July.
Upper Side. The antennæ are black, small, and thread-like, near half an inch long; the head and thorax cream-coloured. Behind the head are two black spots, and on the thorax are three others, longer, and running parallel with it. The abdomen is scarlet, and on each segment is a black mark, forming a row, united together in the middle. All the wings are entire. The anterior ones black, with cream-coloured cilia; the interior edge, and part of the anterior, next the body, are margined with cream colour. A line of the same colour, runs from the body, parallel with, and near to the posterior edge, quite to the external one, where, suddenly returning, in a zigzag manner, it ends at the anterior edge, near the tips, and forms two angles, like a B, with a line placed across its top, or upper part. The posterior wings are scarlet, having a thin border of black, running along their external edges, with four black spots above it, those nearest the abdomen, being in shape like hearts.
Under Side. Like the upper: but the colours are more faint and less distinct.
The caterpillar of this species is brown, with small dorsal and lateral diamond-shaped yellow spots, emitting fascicles of hairs. It feeds, according to Abbot, on the cross-wort, corn, peas, wheat, &c. One of the caterpillars spun up on the 4th of April, and the moth appeared on the 29th. Another spun up on the 27th of May, and came out on the 16th of June. It continues breeding during most part of the summer.