THE CANADIAN ENTOMOL(X4IST, 145 



NOTES ON THE LARVA OF THYMELICUS GARITA 



REAKIRT. 



BY ARTHUR GIBSON, OTTAWA, ONT. 



A female of this interesting little butterfly was received from Mr. T. 

 N. Willing, of Regina, Sask. The specimen was captured on July loth, 

 igor, and was enclosed in an envelope. It arrived at Ottawa on July 

 1 6th, and in the envelope was found one egg, which hatched on the 

 following day, the 17th. 



The egg when received was of a creamy-white colour and reticulated ; 

 in shape hemispherical ; head of larva plainly distinguishable. 



The following notes were taken by me on the larva : 



Stage I. — Length when hatched, 1.75 mm., at first creamy-white ; after 

 feeding the dorsum is a pale sea-green, the venter a pale whitish-green. 

 Head large, round, flat in front, very slightly bilobed ; minutely pitted ; 

 mouth-parts reddish ; ocelli small and bhck ; down the front of the face 

 there is a triangular blackish irregular indefinite band, somewhat like those 

 of Smerinthus, but not nearly so distinct. Body cylindrical, tapering 

 slightly towards anal extremity, which is paler than the rest of the body. 

 A faint whitish subdorsal band is present, also an upper lateral, and 

 another between this and the stigmatal fold ; this latter afterwards becomes 

 indistinct. Body bears short, stout, blunt bristles, which turn over some- 

 what at the tip. All the feet are concolorous with venter. 



On July 23rd there were noticed a thin whitish medio-dorsal line, and 

 also six distinct whitish bands of equal width on either side of the medio- 

 dorsal line. The spiracles are small and brownish ; at this time the body 

 is plump, somewhat arched, falling off rapidly at anal extremity ; the 

 segments are transversely wrinkled. The anal flap bears some whitish 

 bristles of varying lengths. 



At the above date the larva stopped feeding, and on the 24th the 

 front segments were swollen. On the morning of the 25th it passed the 

 first moult. 



Stage II. — ^Length, 3.4 mm. Head round in outline, flat in front, 

 pale greenish-white ; a little larger than segment 2 ; slight furrow down 

 centre of face to clypeus ; hairs, or bristles, on face numerous, short and 

 black ; mouth-parts pale brownish ; ocelli small and black. Body cylin- 

 drical, plump, tapering to anal extremity. The dorsum falls off abruptly 

 from segment 9 to anal end, giving an arched appearance to the body. 

 Whole body green, almost same shade as grass upon which it is feeding, 



April, 1910 



