(jij Caitatltati Jnt0mola|ii$t. 



Vol. XXIX. LONDON, JANUARY, 1897. No. i. 



THE CRINKLED FLANNEL MOTH (Megalopyge 



CRiSPATA, Pack.). 



BY M. V. SLINGERLAND, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, N. Y. 



September 3rd, 1895, I received several nearly full-grown specimens 

 of the curious, sluglike caterpillars of this beautiful moth, so aptly named 

 by Professor Comstock, "the crinkled flannel moth." The cunning brown 

 caterpillars were placed in a cage here at the insectary, where they fed 

 freely on apple leaves, although they were feedmg on quince when found 

 at Worcester, Mass. Since Dr. Packard described the insect in its 

 different stages in 1864, its life-history has been worked out in detail by 

 Dr. Lintner (Ent. Contrib., II., p. 138, 1870), and recently by Dr. 

 Packard (Proc. Am. Phil. Soc. for 1894, P- 275). In this last paper Dr. 

 Packard has described and figured in detail the extra two pairs of 

 abdominal legs (seven pairs in all) possessed by the caterpillars, and 

 some curious lateral glandular processes. 



It is now our practice here at the insectary to photograph, so far as 

 possible, every stage, phase, and habit of any insect that we may study. 

 It is not often, however, that we have as good a subject as the crinkled 

 flannel moth proved to be. The main object of this note is to introduce 

 some of the lifelike pictures we were able to secure of this interesting 

 and beautiful insect. 



As shown at d on the plate, three of the cunning little caterpillars 

 posed for their photograph, which represents their natural size and brings 

 out their characteristic appearance much better than any other figures we 

 have seen. They spun their tough brown cocoons (represented natural 

 size at a on the plate), with the tightly fitting and ingenious door at one 

 end, on September 5th. Upon prying open the door of one cocoon, the 

 male pupa (shown natural size at b on the plate) was revealed. As the 

 cage was kept in our warm oftice, the development of the insect was 

 doubtless abnormally accelerated, for on December 21st and 24th the 

 pup?e pushed open the little doors, worked their way nearly out of the 

 cocoon, and the moths emerged. We aimed our " Premo " at one of the 



