188 



THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Fig. 9. — Fossil Calcrpill;i 



Phylledestes vorax, n. g., n. s}). {V\g. 9.) 

 Length, 27 mm.; with the general proportions of a Noctuid larva, the 

 body fairly stout, cylindrical, with the usual legs and stigmata; head round- 

 ed, ordinary, not very 

 large, its vertical length 

 33/j^ mm.; body smooth, 

 as preserved rather light 

 reddish-brown, without 

 si)0ts or lines, but pallid 

 ventrally ; first body seg- 

 ment, in the anterior sub- 

 dorsal region on each side, with a patch of six or seven minute round 

 spo'ts resembling ocelli, not bearing any hairs ; no sign of a prothoracic 

 plate ; tubercles all absent (or not visible, though the skin is very well 

 preserved, showing the spiracles, etc., clearly) except tubercle i (as I take 

 it to be, since it is always directly above the spiracle), which is recognizable 

 on body-segments 2 to 10 because it emits very stout bristles, those on seg- 

 ments 2 and 10 smaller and in bundles, of three on the former, two on the 

 latter ; the others large, stout and black, a single one on each side of each 

 segment. This armature may be expressed by a formula, o, 3, i, i, i, i, i, 

 I, I, 2, o. The bristles, though very stout, and the longer ones about 3 j.^ mm. 

 long, arc distinctly bristles, capable of bending, not spines ; and they do 

 not show the least spinulation or branching. The distance between the 

 spiracles and the bases of the bristles is on the middle abdominal segments 

 a little over 2 mm. 



In the figure I have represented the caterpillar as walking on a twig, 

 and have enlarged it, but have shown nothing that is not plainly visible in 

 the fossil. 



Scudder described eight species of butterflies from the Florissant 

 shales, finding them all to belong to extinct genera. I am totally unable 

 to place the larva now described in any existing genus, and even the 

 family remains in doubt. There is an obvious superficial resemblance to 

 some of the Nymphalids, but it appears to be only superficial. I should 

 rather seek to place the insect somewhere in the neighbourhood of the 

 Arctiid-Noctuid stem, but just where I do not know. May I ask for the 

 advice and criticism of those who have a better knowledge of lepidopterous 

 larvae? 



