1912.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 303 



larva bears to an ant, while Kirby 48 says it is from the extraordinary 

 appearance of the larva that the species derives its name of lobster 

 moth. 



Thus the larva of Stauropus is supposed to mimic more or less 

 closely, objects in both the vegetable and the animal kingdoms, 

 and within the limits of the latter, representatives of five orders 

 (not to mention ants carrying prey nor double ants), belonging to no 

 fewer than three classes of the phylum Arthropoda. It is evident 

 that the predaceous foes of Stauropus, had they only the imaginative 

 powers of its human observers, could have a banquet of many diverse 

 courses, each of which would be merely Stauropus in disguise. 



Poulton says: "I should not, however, have ventured to speak 

 so plainly of the meaning of the various details in the defensive 

 attitude of the larva if I had not been able to rely upon the best 

 support attainable — the support yielded by direct experiment." 49 

 He would have been approximately correct if he had said the poorest 

 support attainable, but let us see what the support is. A marmoset 

 and a lizard were offered one Stauropus larva each; they showed 

 caution in attack, but each ate the larva. Rather a slender basis, one 

 would say, for four pages of argument on the special defence of the 

 creature. 



The continuation of the argument — defence against insect enemies 

 — is even more far-fetched. When irritated the larva displays 

 black patches on certain segments, and Poulton thinks "it is clear 

 that the black marks exposed by the larva are calculated to suggest 

 to the approaching enemy [parasite] that the individual [larva] in 

 question is already occupied." Super-parasitism is too common an 

 occurrence to warrant the belief that parasitic insects are warned 

 away by any visible signs of preoccupation. 



The tussock moths (Orgyia antiqua and 0. pudibunda) are supposed 

 to be protected by the fine hairs of the tussocks which come out 

 easily in immense numbers. Poulton says: "This interpretation 

 is entirely due to experiment. A larva of 0. antiqua was introduced 

 into a lizard's cage and, when attacked, instantly assumed the defen- 

 sive attitude. An unwary lizard seized the apparently feasible part 

 of the larva: most of the tussock came out in its mouth, and the 

 lizard seemed greatly troubled by the fine hairs and did not touch 

 the larva again" (p. 590). An Orgyia pudibunda larva was killed 

 but not eaten by another lizard. 



48 The Butterflies and Moths of Europe, 1903, p. 46. 



49 Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1888, p. 585. 



