130 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



NOTES ON THE LARVA OF OPHIUSA BISTRIARIS, Buhner. 



BY W. SAUNDERS, LONDON. 



Late in July a number of specimens of a larva apparently allied to the 

 genus Catocala were taken from the silver maple (Acer dasycarpicm, Ehrn.). 

 The description of this larva is as follows : 



Length 1.40 inches ; somewhat onisciform. 



Head medium sized, flattened, bilobed ; color pale ashen grey, with streaks 

 of pale brown appearing under a magnifying lens as a fine network ; a dark 

 brown, nearly black, stripe on each side, and a few short grey hairs scattered 

 over its surface. 



Body above brownish-grey, with numerous streaks and dots of pale brown. 

 A double irregular dorsal line, widening here and there throughout its entire 

 length. There are many other broken lines of the same character, composed 

 chiefly of dots, but none of them continuous. A sub-dorsal row of whitish 

 dots, composed of two or three on each of the middle segments, less numerous 

 on anterior segments; a few pale grey hairs placed chiefly along each side 

 below spiracles. On the hinder part of 12th segment is a raised crescent- 

 ehaped line edged behind with black, and on the terminal one two whitish 

 dots with a small patch of black at their base. Spiracles pale, oval, edged 

 with black. 



Under surface paler and greenish, quite bluish-green from seventh to 

 eleventh segments, with a round central blackish spot on hinder part of 

 seventh and eighth. Anterior pair of prolegs present but dwarfed, and not 

 used in progression; body slightly arched with each forward movement. 

 Feet greenish, semi-transparent; prolegs bluish-green dotted with brown. 



This larva is subject to considerable variation in its color and markings. 



Var. A. — Body paler in color. Head pale, with lines very much less 

 distinct. The black edging of raised line on 12th segment scarcely apparent. 



Var. B. — Body dark-red, with markings similar to those of the usual grey 

 variety. 



Var. C. — Body dark brown, nearly black. Head larger, with markings 

 prominent. 



When about to go into chrysalis this larva cuts through a portion of a leaf 

 of the tree on which it has fed, and turning it over constructs a snug little 

 case, fastening it up closely and carefully with silken threads, and in this 

 completes its transformations. After remaining in the pupa state about two 

 weeks the imago appeared, which proved to be Ojyhiusa bistriaris. 



