THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 53 



7. Caterpillars that go over two years. 



I had a larva of Coenonympha Inornata out of egg received from Mr. 

 Fletcher, at Ottawa, go over two winters. Three larv?e hatched i8th 

 August, 1888. One of these became lethargic after second moult and 

 hibernated. On 6th May, 1889, it passed the third moult; the fourth, 

 9th June. In July was asleep again, and so passed the winter of 1890, 

 and died in the following spring without further change. Others, of a lot 

 from Montana, hibernated after second moult and pupated the following 

 spring. 



A similar habit has been noticed in Melitaea Aiiicia, Doubleday. 

 This species is common on the tops of the highest peaks in Colorado, 

 and so north to and beyond Laggan Until recently, the lepidopterists 

 of this country were uncertain what Anicia was, and the name came to 

 be applied to a rather large red species found in Nevada and California. 

 But Mr. Henry Edwards, on his last trip to London, examined the type 

 specimens in British Museum, and having with him several of his own 

 Melitceas, identified the right one, and distributed examples of it to some 

 of his correspondents. It is a small dark and dull species, and is said by 

 Mr. Bruce to swarm in its localities. 



I received eggs oi Anicia from Mr. Bean, at Laggan, 5th July, 1889. 

 The larvae fed here on Pentstemon, and at once from the egg protected 

 themselves under a common web. The first moult took place on nth 

 July; the second, on 14th; third, on 20th July; and in August all were 

 asleep and were sent to Clifton Springs. They were received again, 2nd 

 April, 1890, and soon began to feed. On 12th April several passed the 

 fourth moult, and near the end of the month had gone to sleep again. 

 Up to middle of September no change had taken place, but late in the 

 fall thev were found to be dead. In a state of nature these larvae would 

 pass the hibernating period on the ground among leaves and rubbish, but 

 I could not attempt to imitate the conditions without certainty of mould, 

 and so destruction. I wrote Mr. Bean about this experience, and he 

 replied (last of Oct., 1890,): — "My (our Anicia of 1889 still stay with 

 me." Later, 17th Nov. : — "Two of the 1889 Anicia went into hiberna- 

 tion alive." 



Whether any of the species of Chionobas in America require two 

 years between egg and imago has not yet been ascertained. Mr. Scudder, 

 Butt. N. E., is inclined to think ^'^w/^/ea has "a biennial cycle "; and 



