REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I43 



following, it was thought that there must be successive broods of the 

 insect. Numerous larvae of various sizes — some less than half-grown, 

 were received from Mr. Falconer, September 20th. On October 2d the 

 last larvae pupated and the moths emerged between October 19th and 

 November 5th, except one male which appeared November 21st. Some 

 of the larvae made fully half their growth within twelve days, and the 

 imagoes emerged in from 17 to 32 days after the last larvae had pupated. 

 At this rate it would take about 50 days to complete the round of life, 

 but in warm weather growth and transformations are usually much more 

 rapid and these changes might not occupy more than five weeks. If 

 such were the case three or more generations would be possible each 

 year, the number depending upon the length and warmth of the season. 

 At Glen Cove, L. I., the larvae were seen feeding October 3d. An allied 

 form, Nomophila noctuella Schiff., produces several generations a year, and 

 in warm weather completes the round of life in about 50 days. Both 

 insects appear to continue breeding until the frosts compel them to seek 

 shelter for the winter or else kill the larvae. 



Description of the Insect in Several Stages. 



LarvcB (full-grown) — Length i.i in.; form cylindrical. 



Head medium small ; pitchy black ; clypeus V-shaped, suture deep ; 

 lahrum, basal joint of antenna, and portions of labium usually white; the 

 white is quite variable in extent not only on the head but also around 

 the tubercles on the body. 



Thoracic shield pitchy black ; a median stripe and a subdorsal rect- 

 angular area on its anterior two-thirds, white ; anterior border frequently 

 white ; 12 white setae arise from small tubercles upon its surface — six form- 

 ing a transverse row along its anterior edge, the others along the pos- 

 terior edge. Two large tubercles, each bearing two setae, below the 

 thoracic shield — the upper and smaller nearly in front of the small black 

 spiracle. On the second and third thoracic segments five black tubercles 

 each side — the first two with two setae each, third and fourth con- 

 tiguous and one behind the other — anterior with two setae, posterior with 

 a single seta ; fifth larger, with a single seta and near base of leg ; small 

 white spots conspicuous at bases of first two tubercles (Fig. 4), 



The general color of the upper surface of the body is pale yellowish 

 brown, the two anterior thoiacic segments a little lighter. Small black 

 spiracles occur on the first eight abdominal segments, that of the eighth 

 being larger than the others. On each of the segments three black 

 tubercles above the spiracle ; two anterior, a subdorsal and lateral, and a 

 posterior, dorso-lateral ; each tubercle with a single seta and with con- 

 spicuous white marks at base on dorsal and ventral sides. On the ninth 

 abdominal segment the tubercles have coalesced on the median line; 

 the anal shield is well defined, with two median white spots and 

 a number of setae. The setae on the tubercles range from o.i to 

 0.25 in. in length. Sublateral line composed of a series of irregular lemon- 



