Vol. XXVlii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 79 



Notes and Ne\vs. 



BNTOMOLOQICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS 

 OF THE GLOBE. 



Erebus odora and its Larvae in Iowa (Lep.). 



On July 3ist, 1915, a female Erebus odora was found resting on 

 a screen door a mile and a half east of this town (Nevada, Iowa). 

 It was rubbed some, but not badly. We have the moth in our collec- 

 tion. 



August I5th, 1916, we took another, a female also, three miles east 

 of town where we were sugaring for Catocala. It had come to bait 

 on an elm tree. This one was quite a fresh specimen. It was con- 

 fined in a paper bag, and deposited over five hundred (500) eggs, whicli 

 began hatching four days after being laid. The young larvae were 

 offered leaves of Cassia marilandica, C. cliamaecrista, Honey and 

 Black locust, A markka cancsccns, A. fruticosa and Kentucky coffee 

 tree. They refused all but the last named. About two dozen ate leaves 

 of the coffee tree and lived until past second molt, when they all died. 

 Perhaps they had gone too long without food before beginning to eat 

 and were in a weakened condition. It was a great disappointment to 

 lose them at this stage, for they were a very interesting young family. 

 They resembled young Catocala larvae greatly. 



The egg was small, round and a dull, dirty blue color. Two days 

 after, they were laid the young larvae showed through the shell, and 

 two days later they hatched. When newly hatched the larvae were 

 over a quarter of an inch long, very slender, and as lively as Cato~ 

 cala ilia larvae, which they resembled very much. Body color brown, 

 with four tubercles to each segment. These tubercles were black and 

 large, almost obscuring the body color and making the larvae look 

 quite black. Head was large and black. Six days later they passed 

 first molt, were light brown, and from each tubercle extended a long, 

 fine, dark hair. The underside was light and had the dark spots 

 characteristic of all Catocala larvae. A week later they molted the 

 second time, and were about three-quarters of an inch long. Body 

 color the same, with fine, dark, wavy longitudinal lines. The fine 

 hairs which sprung from each tubercle were three-eighths of an inch 

 long and were stiff enough to stand erect. Over the eighth abdominal 

 segment the two dorsal tubercles were very pronounced. Head black 

 and underside almost white, with large black spots. One day after 

 passing second molt they all died. 



Since taking the moth two years in succession, two weeks apart, in 

 practically the same neighborhood, and securing fertile ova from one. 

 we wonder Are they breeding here? O. F. and J. S. HISER, Nevada, 

 Iowa. 



