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March, t9o2] tS YCI-IF. 821 This species occurs, long before snow On April i2, i found abundant eggs of has gone, in large colonies, under loose this species among a colony of adults at wet bark and under soil, in crevices at the base of a white pine; the eggs were the base of a tree. Although most white, spherical, and deposited in irregu- common on pine, it lives also on elm and lar heaps. apple. In mild weather, it wanders I have never been able to find this about on the trunks of trees or on the species in its customary haunts at any ground, and it occurred in enormous time of the year after April I2; it is numbers as a "snow-flea," in Maryland, probably at least digoneutic, however, as recorded above. Captive specimens and may prove to be dimorphic. laid eggs between April 9 and April i3. ON THE LIMITS OF THE FAMILY SATURNIIDAE, WITH A NOTE ON THE GENUS ROTHSCHILDIA. BY A. S. PACKARD, PROVIDENCE, R. I. The elimination of so many non-spin- saturnia mendocino differs from Saturnia), ning genera from the Saturniidae as pro- Heniocha, Loepa. posed in this paper leaves that family The subfamily Attacinae was at the very much curtailed. same time characterized by the larvae As I pointed out some years ago, it is having but five tubercles on the 8th ab- divided in.to two subfamilies, of very dominal segment, the median one being simple larval characters, i. e., whether the double, resulting from the fusion of the two dorso-median tubercles of the 8th tubercles belonging to the two dorsal abdominal segment of the larva remain series. The imaginal characters bear separate, or are united in a single me- out this arrangement. dian one. The following genera belong to this The subfamily Saturniinae, character- group, beginning as heretofore with the ized by having six separate tubercles most generalized forms, the exact se- (the two median ones being separate) quence being subject to farther modifi- on the 8th abdominal segment, com- cation: Copaxa, Opodiphtera, Tagor- prise the following genera, Perisomena, opsis, Syntherata, lZhodia, Rinaca, N eo- Cricula, Saturnia (I cannot see that Cala- ris, Caligula, Graellsia, Argema, Actias, Tropaea, Antheraea, Telea, Metosamia, Studies on the transformation of moths of the family Callosamia, Samia, Epiphora, Philosa- Saturniidae. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sciences, Boston, (n. s.) XX, p. 8. x893. mia, Rothschildia, Coscinocera, Attacus. 322 t)S YCItE. [March, 9o2 This subfamily is divided into several, other features of six species of Roths- at least five groups of genera, in two childia, it becomes quite evident that the series, for example a Copaxa group, new world or naeogaeic species form a an Antheraea group (Antheraea, Telea, group readily separated from the species Metosamia); a Samia group (Samia, of Attacus of the Oriental region, both Epiphora, Callosamia) a Tropaea group by the larval and imaginal characters, (Graellsia, Argema, Actias, Tropaea), though in the general appearance of the and an Attacus group (Rothschildia, moths, the shape of the wings and mark- Philosamia, Attacus). ings there is a close resemblance. Whether Rhodia, Rinaca, and Neoris Rothschildia differs from Attacus in belong with Loepa, which has six tuber- the following characters; the antennae cles on the 8th abdominal segment, or have pectinations nearly one-half shorter, with Copaxa which in stage I has but and the end of the antenna is subfiliform five, the median one being double, re- the palpi are 3-jointed, those of Attacus remains to be seen after we know more 1-jointed; the fore tibial epiphysis is in of their larval forms. Rothschildia narrow, very sharp at the end, about half as wide as in Attacus, in 2Vote on the genus 2?othschildia. which (A. atlas) it is oval, and the end As originally written I had proposed obtuse. a new generic name for the American The fore wings are less falcate than Moths referred to Attacus. in Attacus, and the hind wings more This name was proposed by Mr. rounded at the inner angle, not so tri- Grote for the American, chiefly Naeo- angular in outline as in Attacus, nor so gaeic, species heretofore referred to much produced posteriorly" indeed they Attacus. The latter genus, comprising are closely like those of Philosamia. Attacus atlas, A. crameri and A. ed- In the venation the difference between wardsh, is restricted to southeastern the Asiatic and American forms is strik- Asia and the East Indian Archipelago ing; in all the Rothschildiae examined or the oriental region. In fact it is there is no first subcostal vein (or vein much more closely related to Philosamia II.). In .4ltacus atla, crameri, and than to Rothschildia. edwarclsii the first branch of the subcos- From a study of the venation and tal vein is fully developed, arising at a point neat' the middle of the discal cell, this article put in type and day before After i. e., within the origin of the comlnon stalk receiving the proof, received by Mr. Grote his excellent article, Beitrag zur Classification der Schmetterlinge, 896, of the other subcostalbranches. In this in which he separates the American species of Attacus respect it is closely allied to Philosamia, under the of Rothschildia. therefore suppress the generic had proposed. The characters he gives where vein II is present. Vein II2 is are essentially what have pointed out in the present minute, very short II present, normal. article. We seem, quite independently of each other, to 3 have arrived at the same results. In Rothschildia vein II is wanting, II2 March, igo2] 20S YCtfE. is a little longer than in Attacus and the segments are scarcely larger, if any, than other veins of the wings are as in Atta- those in the abdominal segments. cus. The venation of the hind wings is Burmeister has figured the larvae of nearly the same in both genera. The Zdo//zsc/zildia hesperus, etlra, auro/a, betis, wonderful similarity of markings, espe- and steculifer. In all except _A'. betis, cially the large, clear discal spots in gen- they agree well with the larva of /'. or# era quite remote is an interesting case of zaba; the thoracic dorsal tubercles being convergence. no larger than the abdominal ones, this The larva of Rothschildia approaches species approaching nearest to X'. auro- Samia, rather than Attacus. That of A. ra. In X'. betis, however, no traces of atlas has been well described and care- tubercles are given, and in the text it is fully figured in all stages by M. Poujade, stated that the larva has no spines; the (Annales Soc. Ent. France, X, 88o; p. larva is blackish, banded transversely 83, P1.8.) with deep pink-red. The larvae, then, The larva of Attacus atlas in its final of the American species hitherto re- stage is provided with long finger-shaped ferred to Attacus, appear to present ex- tubercles; those, however, on the ter- cellent distinctive characters. gum of the 2d and 3 d thoracic segments Judging by the larvae, whose tubercles are very different in shape, being large, are more like those of Samia, Roths- short and rounded, those on the abdom- childia is the more primitive type, and inal segments long and slender. Re- Attacus the more specialized. Attacus duction occurs on the thoracic segments is in venation and the shape of the wings only; the two rows of tubercles on the closely allied to Philosamia (2. cynthia) sides of the thoracic segments are of the its larva is more specialized than that of same shape, but a little longer than those Philosamia; but the latter has begun on the abdominal segments. to be specialized in the reduction of the In Rothschildia, as shown by blown dorsal tubercles of the prothoracic seg- examples of 2othschildia orizaba received ment, which are short, rounded, and un- from Mexico, the tubercles are more ru- armed. dimentary; they are low, short, fleshy, Attacus is confined to the Oriental and are crowned with 5-7 small sharp region, while the older more primitive spinules, while those of .4ttacus atlas are genus Philosamia is represented in equa- long, finger-shaped and unarmed with torial Africa as well as the East Indies; any spinules. The median tubercle on it "is probable that the Ethiopian realm the 8th abdominal segment is very small, was the original home of these two gen- inconspicuous, and but slightly larger era, unless Attacus separated after mi- than the other dorsal tubercles of the gration into the East Indies, India and abdominal segments. The dorsal tu- the East Indian Archipelago. bercles on the meso- and metathoracic International Journal of Peptides Advances in BioMed Stem Cells International Journal of Research International International Genomics Hindawi Publishing Corporation Hindawi Publishing Corporation Hindawi Publishing Corporation Hindawi Publishing Corporation Hindawi Publishing Corporation http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014 http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014 http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014 Virolog y http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014 http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014 Journal of Nucleic Acids Zoology International Journal of Hindawi Publishing Corporation Hindawi Publishing Corporation http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014 http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014 Submit your manuscripts at http://www.hindawi.com Journal of The Scientific Signal Transduction World Journal Hindawi Publishing Corporation Hindawi Publishing Corporation http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014 http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014 Genetics Anatomy International Journal of Biochemistry Advances in Research International Research International Microbiology Research International Bioinformatics Hindawi Publishing
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  • Some Interesting Insects (And a Few Other Things) in Madagascar

    Some Interesting Insects (And a Few Other Things) in Madagascar

    Some Interesting Insects (and a few other things) in Madagascar Lemur-free Madagascar is located off the southeast coast of Africa The closest point to the mainland, in eastern Mozambique, is 425 km (266 miles) to the west Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world Madagascan Sunset Moth Chrysiridia (= Urania) rhipheus Madagascar broke off from Gondwana, along with the India, about 135 mya Madagascar later separated from India about 88 mya and has since been an isolated island Most of the trip centered on the main highway (RN7) in Madagascar, running between the capital, Antananarivo (Tana) and Toliara Plague notices in the airports Rice Rice consumption is about 120 kg/year per person Zebu (omby) Bos taurus indicus Over 300 described species Likely 100s undescribed 99% endemic Tomato Frog Dyscophagus antongili Frog Camouflage Frog Camouflage Over ½ of the world’s species Chameleon Rock Geckos! Leaftailed Geckos Uroplatus spp. Forest Leeches!! Haemadipsid leeches Egg of an elephant bird Between 5 and 8 species in 3 genera The most common species ranged between 350-500 kg and over 3 m in height All elephant birds were thought to have been killed off by the 17th Century – but egg shell fragments remain today Eggs weighed about 10 kg Photograph by Dimus/Wikipedia In bowling when you get three consecutive strikes it is called a “turkey” 3 strikes Photograph by D. Haskard/OEH 4 strikes = “emu” 5 strikes = moa 6 strikes = giant elephant bird Male Giraffe Weevil Trachelophorus giraffa Coleoptera: Attelabidae Female Photograph courtesy of Axel Straub The most iconic insect of Madagascar Females carefully roll and fold leaves of the host plants to produce a nidus, within which the egg is laid Nidus Egg Nidus The insect group Crane flies most often seen in the forested areas Eumenid wasps Insect hunting wasps were among the most commonly seen insects most everywhere Vespid wasps Hunting wasps Termite nests were common Carton nests in trees are usually produced by ants (Crematogaster spp.) Antlions Palpares spp.