29 



Being so large and conspicuous, it is usually an easy matter to pick 

 the beetles off the vines with the fingers and crush them under foot. Thev 

 are chiefly to be found in the southern counties of Ontario, and are rarely 

 seen east of Toronto. 



Grape-Vine Sphinx Caterpillars. There are at least five different 

 species of these insects to be found feeding upon the leaves of the grape 

 in Canada. The most common is the Green Grape-vine Sphinx (Darapsj 

 myron), which mav be taken as a representative of the family. The vouny 

 caterpillars, which are to be found in June, are of a pale yellowish color 

 with a long blackish horn, or tail, near the posterior end of the body. 



Fig. 42. — Sphinx caterpillar in characteristic attitude. 



With each moult the caterpillar changes somewhat in appearance and 

 the horn becomes shorter. When full-grown it is quite two inches long, 

 green in color, covered with small granulations, and adorned with a pale 

 yellow stripe along each side; below this there are seven oblique yellow 

 stripes, slanting backwards. The accompanying figure represents the 

 caterpillar at this stage. (Fig. 42.) Occasionally individuals are to be 

 found of a reddish or pinkish color with markings of a darker brown. The 

 chrysalis is formed in a loose cocoon of leaves drawn together with silken 

 threads at the base of the vine. A second brood of moths appears at the 

 end of June, the caterpillars from which mature in September and spend 

 the winter in the chrysalis state, from which the moth comes out in May. 



\ 



Fig. 43. — Green Grape-vine Sphinx moth. 



The moth is a beautiful insect (Fig. 43), with long narrow fore wings 

 expanding about two inches and a half, of a velvety olive-green color, 

 with darker bands across them ; the hind wings are much smaller and 

 rusty red in color without markings. These insects are called Hawk- 

 moths from their swift darting flight from flower to flower at dusk in 



