On Certain Grass-Eating Insects. 



65 



male. The moths fly in the latter part of the afternoon and in 

 the early evening. The species is confined to low or damp land ; 

 they are also attracted to lights. 



Trap Lantern Record. C. mutabilis, 1889. 



This table shows that the adults fly through June, July, 

 August, and into September. A similar record for 1892 is given 

 by the single trap-lantern run that season. This is an exception- 

 ally long breeding season. There may possibly be two genera- 

 tions in a year, but the weight of evidence seems against it. 



The period of oviposition extends over a week or more. One 

 female laid two hundred eggs the day after being taken, two 

 hundred the next day, and one hundred the third day ; at the 

 end of a week she died, having laid seven hundred and twenty- 

 five eggs after capture. Observation shows this is probably 

 above the average. The eggs are a creamy white color when 

 first laid but they soon change to a bright rufous color, and hatch 

 in about ten days. All the moths laid a very large number of 

 eggs, but the larvae died soon after hatching ; this seems to be 

 the weak point in the life-history of this species. 



Egg. — Creamy white when first laid, gradually turning to an orange 

 rufous color before hatching. Form elliptical oval ; size .51 by .36 mm. 

 The egg-shell has sixteen longitudinal ridges and numerous small transverse 

 ridges. 



Larva, first stage. — Head diameter .iS mm. ; body diameter .15 mm. ; length 

 I.I mm. Head pale yellowish with a sprinkling of sooty specks ;* body a 

 rather sooty semi-transparent white with irregular rufous blotches along the 

 dorsum; scattered dark colored hairs occur on the head and the body. 



*In descriptions of larvae written in 1S92 the head is black and the body considerably 

 darker than given above, undoubtedly there is some variation. 



