THE GIANT SILK-WORM MOTHS. 



sweet-potato. Hyloicus (Sphinx) kalmia, on laurel, lilac, 

 ash, and Chionanthus; H. dnipiferarum, on plum and wild 

 cherry; H. gordins, on huckleberry, bayberry, and birch; 

 H. luscitiosa, on willow; H. chersis, on lilac and ash; H. 

 eremitus, on pepper, wild bergamot, and Salvia; H. ple- 

 beitts, on trumpet vine and Passiflora. Dolba hylceus 

 larvae are said to complete their growth in twenty days on 

 black alder and sweet fern. Chlcenogramma jasminearum, 

 on ash. Larvae of Ceratomia amyntor have four short 

 thoracic horns in addition to the anal one and feed chiefly 

 on elm; the black and yellow larvae of C. catalpce feed on 

 Catalpa. Lapara bombycoides and conifer arum, on pines^ 

 Cressonia juglandis, on hickory, walnut, ironwood, and 

 wild cherry. 



SATURNIID^: 



These Giant Silk- worm Moths are the amateur's delight 

 because of their large size, beautiful colors, and often 

 conspicuous cocoons. The antennas of the males are 

 feathered to their tips and are always larger than those 

 of the female; the mouth-parts of the adults are poorly 

 developed and apparently functionless but the huge 

 larvae are certainly hearty feeders and, fortunately, have 

 many enemies; whoever tries to raise Saturnid adults 

 from wild cocoons is almost sure to get more parasites 

 than moths. 



The Asiatic Ailanthus Silk-moth (Plate 

 Philosamia XL) wag b ht to America about 1861, 

 cyntma 



presumably in the hope that silk from its 



cocoon might be used commercially. That hope has not 

 yet been realized and the larvae occasionally occur in large 

 enough numbers to be injurious to ailanthus trees their 

 original and favorite leaf, although they also feed upon 

 wild cherry, linden, sycamore, lilac, and other plants. 

 The full-grown larva is green with black dots; the tubercles 

 are pale to quite blue except that those of the lowest 

 (substigmatal) row are banded with black; the head, 

 legs, props, and anal shield are yellow except for blue 

 markings on the last two; spiracles (or "stigmata," the 

 row of breathing holes along the sides) are black with a 



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