200 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



DESCRIPTION OF THE LARVA OF EUSTROTIA CADUCA 



GROTE. 



[Lepidoptera, Noctuidae.] 

 BY HARRISON G. DYAR. 



Larvae found feeding upon the leaves of the yellow water- 

 lily at Hyattsville, Maryland, proved to be of this species. 

 The larvae are not aquatic, except that they have to swim from 

 the leaves to ground when fully grown and seeking a place 

 for pupation. 



The eggs are of the shape of one-third of a sphere, the base 

 broadly flat, low-domed, with 40 vertical ridges at the margin, 

 diminishing irregularly to the vertex ; cross-striae faint and 

 fine. Pale green. Diameter 0.7 mm. Laid usually singly 

 on the back of a leaf. 



The young larvae are slender, translucent pale green without 

 markings, the spiracles white, that of joint 12 large. Stages 

 ir to vi were under observation upon the plants at the time of 

 finding. 



The mature larva has the head flat before, held flat, the 

 vertex not within joint 2, slightly bilobed, rounded, pale green, 

 translucent, with a few pale red-brown subangular spots. 

 Body subcylindrical, flattened ; the thoracic feet small, the 

 abdominal ones with long plantae, the pair on joint 13 spread- 

 ing. Smooth, translucent pale green ; dorsal, subdorsal and 

 stigmatal whitish green lines running to the eye, with a series 

 of pale red-brown angular dots below the subdorsal line, 

 one on each segment posteriorly. Under a lens the dorsal and 

 subdorsal lines remain, the stigmatal disappears, and only four 

 linear waved lines are seen, two in the lateral space, one stig- 

 matal and one subventral, which are so fine as to be not obvious 

 to the eye. Tubercles and setae minute. Spiracles black- 

 edged. Antennae large, well jointed. 



The larvae turned red at maturity and entered earth, spinning 

 a slight web. 



