THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 273 



THE LIFE HISTORY OF MAMESTRA LAUDABILIS, GUENEE. 



BY HARRISON G. DYAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



The eggs of this species were received from the Rev. R. W. Ander- 

 son, of Wando, North Carohna. They hatched May 22, and the larvae 

 were matured by the middle of July. The larvte are coloured to resemble 

 a piece of wood or bark, and remain all day motionless, hidden on the 

 ground. They are remarkably sluggish, can be handled freely for a con- 

 siderable time without making the slightest motion. They are general 

 feeders. 



Egg. — -Shape of two-thirds of a sphere, somewhat flattened. About 

 24 sharp, vertical ribs, diminishing in number by alternation towards 

 vertex, waved, joined in a ring around the micropyle ; cross striae distinct, 

 about like the ribs, forming a large, coarse reticulum. Whitish, with a 

 broad, irregular dark-red ring and vertical spot, partly confluent. 

 Diameter .6 mm. 



Stage I. — Head slightly bilobed, shining brownish black, mouth 

 broadly pale luteous, jaws red-brown; width about .3 mm. Body robust, 

 short and stout, normal, joints 5 to 7 slightly arched, feet of 7 and 8 

 shorter than the others, but distinct. Pale whitish, tubercles small, black, 

 but strongly raised. Sette long, pale and distinct. Cervical shield black, 

 angularly shaped, containing four raised pale tubercles. Later the 

 cervical shield and tubercles are black except a lateral pale patch ; anal 

 plate defined by black ; leg shields faintly dusky. Still later there appear 

 narrow dorsal and subdorsal white lines. 



Stage II. — Head rounded, apex in joint 2, shining brownish black, 

 mouth paler; width about .5 mm. Body robust, equal, normal, joint 12 

 not enlarged ; shields not differentiated. Olivaceous gray, paler in 

 curved bands in the incisures ; a faint, pale, subdorsal line edged below 

 with blackish ; stigmatal band broad, whitish. Tubercles black, 

 moderate ; setse stiff, long, dark, curved backwards. Later brownish- 

 gray, the dorsum checkered with blackish X-marks intersegmentally. 



Stage III. — Head pale brown on face, vertex broadly sooty black 

 with a bar running down a little way on each lobe before ; width about .7 

 mm. Body robust, joint 12 not enlarged. Wood-brown, dorsal line 

 white, narrow, subobsolete, dorsal space tessellated with intersegmental 



