82 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



PREPARATORY STAGES OF DATANA PERSPICUA, G. & R., 

 AND CERURA BOREALIS, BOISD. 



BY HARRISON G. DYAR, NEW YORK. 



Datana PERSPICUA. — Egg: In general shape subpyriform ; flattened 

 at base and top, depressed centrally at vertex, the usual black spot small 

 and indistinct, situated at the bottom of the punctiform depression ; the 

 whole surface punctured. Colour white, the lid-like top of a somewhat 

 brighter white. Width .9 mm., height .8 mm. The egg is of the type of 

 D. major ^ but resembles the type of D. ministra in coloration by possess- 

 ing a discolorous lid-like top. This is the part of the shell eaten by the 

 young larva in hatching. Laid in masses of varying numbers on the 

 under side of the leaves of the food plant. 



First stage : When first hatched the head is black, .5 mm. wide; the 

 body yellowish with a reddish dorsal and subdorsal line, not reaching the 

 extremities ; cervical shield, feet and anal plate black. As the stage 

 advances the body becomes reddish with four lateral yellow stripes on 

 each side and three venttal, as in allies, which remain throughout the 

 larval stages. They are nearly as wide as the intervening lateral spaces, 

 a little confluent posteriorly and are coloured yellow. Black hairs arise 

 from small black tubercles and from the elevated anal feet. Length near 

 completion of this stage about 5 mm. 



Second stage: Head higher than wide, slightly punctured, black; 

 width I.I mm. Body parts coloured as before. The hair is short, blackish 

 and arises from minute tubercles that are much smaller than in the previ- 

 ous stage. 



Third stage : Head shiny black, punctured, the clypeus smooth ; 

 width 1. 6-1. 8 mm. Cervical shield, anal plate and thoracic feet black. 

 Body dark red, the stripes broader than the intervening spaces, bright 

 yellow ; abdominal feet red, the anal pair black. A few short hairs ; 

 spiracles small, black. 



Fourth stage : Head as before, or in other examples, bright wine-red, 

 the lower part of the clypeus, eyes and mouth parts, black; width 2.7 

 mm. Body as before, the stripes partly confluent posteriorly, hardly so 

 anteriorly ; spiracles black, larger than before. Or the cervical shield and 

 anal plate may be wine red, the stripes broad, lemon yellow, moderately 

 confluent at both ends ; thoracic and anal feet and the abdominal feet 

 outwardly very slightly black. Hair 5 mm. long, whitish, besides other 

 more abundant fine short hair. 



