THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. '2'2'^ 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PREPARATORY STAGES OF 

 PYRAMEIS ATALANTA, Linn. 



BY W. H. EDWARDS, COALBURGH, W. VA. 



Egg. — Barrel-shaped, the ends narrowing equally and rounded ; the 

 base flattened over a little space ; from the edge of this start nine vertical 

 and straight ribs, at first low, but gradually rising in elevation and after the 

 middle rapidly, till at the top they are very prominent, and terminate 

 abruptly about the rim of the depressed summit ; these ribs are thin and 

 grooved on both sides perpendicularly to the surface of the egg ; between 

 them the surface is a little excavated, and smooth ; color green. Duration 

 of this stage 5 days in May, 3 to 4 in July. 



Young Larva. — Length .08 inch ; cyhndrical, tapering posteriorly 

 from 4th segment ; each segment rounded ; color greenish-brown, semi- 

 translucent ; furnished with ten rows of black curved hairs, of which two 

 are close together on middle of dorsum, two are lateral above spiracles, 

 one is partly in line with, partly below spiracles, and one below this ; on 

 2 is a sub-oval black chitinous patch, with four hairs on either side the 

 medio-dorsal line, three others in vertical line below the patch ; 3 and 4 

 have five hairs on each side in vertical line, but from 5 to 12, while there 

 are five hairs, they form two' lines, the ist, 3rd and 5th being in front part 

 of the segment ; the anal segment shows two hairs on the side, and a 

 black dorsal patch, on either half of which are about five hairs ; two 

 small hairs over each foot and pro) eg ; on 2 to 4 the hairs are curved for- 

 ward, on the other segments back, but on all the lowest row is turned 

 down ; so on 2 to 4 the next row is turned down ; head rounded, black, 

 with a few black hairs. Duration of this stage in May 4 days, in August 3. 



After ist Moult. — Length .12 inch ; wholly black-brown ; armed with 

 7 rows of short, slender, branching black spines , head rounded, bi-lobed, 

 the vertices rounded, black, thickly covered with simple, irregular-sized 

 black branching spines, each ending in black hair ; on 2 is a chitinous 

 dorsal bar with simple spines. Duration of this stage in May and August 

 2 days. 



After 2nd Moult. — Length .3 inch; very nearly as at preceding stage 

 To next moult 2 to 4 days. 



After 3rd Moult. — Length 4 inch ; color more black ; each segment 

 several times creased and on the ridges so caused are many minute whitish 



