Mar., 'lO] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS IOI 



The Life History of Cricula trifenestra. 



BY JAMES H. STEBBINS, JR V PH.D. 



Through the courtesy of Dr. G. Lagai of The Kny-Scheerer 

 Co. I came into possession, on April 10, 1909, of a dozen live 

 cocoons of Cricula trifenestra which he had shortly before 

 received from India. 



The cocoons were firmly spun of silk, and were of a bright 

 yellow color. In size they were 35-40 mm. long by 14-16 mm. 

 wide. 



The first moth to emerge from its cocoon was a male, and 

 it made its appearance on the night of June 6, 1909, and the 

 remaining moths emerged thereafter on the following nights : 

 June 7, a male and a female ; June 8, a female ; June 9, two 

 females; June u, a female; June 25, a male; June 27, a fe- 

 male; June 28, a male. Two cocoons did not develop at all, 

 and among those which did develop four were males and six 

 females. 



On June 23d a male and female were found in copulation, 

 and on June 25th the female began ovipositing. The ova were 

 small, white and spherical. There were only 40-50 of them, 

 and they were deposited in small scattering clusters. 



July 8, 1909. The ova laid on the 25th inst. began to hatch 

 out, thus making the egg period 14 days. 



The larvae obtained were about % inch long. The head was 

 large and black, with a slender body gradually tapering towards 

 the anus. The color of the body was brownish-yellow, with 

 a blackish collar on the thoracic segment. There were four 

 tubercles on each segment, surmounted by dark colored setae, 

 and a dark spot on the eleventh segment and anal shield. The 

 legs were black, and the props greenish-yellow, while the anal 

 shield is dark colored. 



Not knowing the food plant of this larva, several were tried, 

 among which I would mention lilac, lettuce, wild cherry, hick- 

 ory, maple and oak leaves, but they refused everything except- 

 ing the oak leaves, which they devoured with great relish. They 

 all feed in a row, quite close together, forming quite a sociable 



