The Bulletin. 51 



Stinging Cotton-worm (Order Lepidoptera) . — Nearly all caterpil- 

 lars are harmless to man, but we have about half a dozen species which 

 are provided with extremely fine sharp spines which produce a nettling 

 or poisoning effect when they pierce the skin. The one of this char- 

 acter which is most often found on cotton is the caterpillar of the 

 Io moth, which is a very handsome species. The caterpillar is green, 

 about two inches long when grown, with a bright crimson stripe down 

 each side. The body is set with many tufts of sharp spines, which, if 

 brushed against when working the cotton, may give a very painful, 

 but not dangerous, sting. When grown the larva spins a brownish 

 silken cocoon within which it transforms to a handsome moth, the 

 males being yellowish and expanding two inches from tip to tip of the 

 wings, and the females yellowish-brown and expanding as much as 

 three inches in large specimens. In both .sexes the hind wings are 

 marked with conspicuous eye-spots. If one is stung by the caterpil- 

 lars, relief may be had by bathing the part with ammonia water or 

 a solution of baking soda. 



The Regal Moth (Order Lepidoptera). — One of our finest and 

 largest moths comes from a large, greenish caterpillar, with long 

 black-tipped horns on the forward part of the body, which is some- 

 times found on cotton. The caterpillar, when grown, is about four 

 inches long and nearly an inch in diameter. When disturbed they 

 sometimes swing the front end of the body violently around as if to 

 strike the tormentor with the horns. They are sometimes greatly 

 feared by negroes, but in reality are harmless and can be handled 

 without any injurious results. Even the spines are rather dull 

 pointed, and there is no venom. The same caterpillar is sometimes 

 found on persimmon, when they are known as "Persimmon-bulls." 

 In the north it feeds on hickory, walnut, and butternut leaves, and 

 is known as the "Hickory Horned Devil." These ferocious names 

 do an injustice to a rather handsome caterpillar which transforms 

 into one of our most beautiful moths. They pass the winter in the 

 pupa stage under ground. 



The Fall Web-worm (Order Lepidoptera). — This is the insect 

 which makes ugly web nests in fruit trees, appearing about July 1st. 

 The nests are also very common along roadsides in persimmon trees 

 at any time from midsummer to winter. Sometimes a stray colony 

 of caterpillars makes its web nest in a cotton plant and strips it of its 

 leaves, but this is unusual. 



The Sialic Borer (Papiapema nitella). (Order Lepidoptera). — 

 This insect attacks a great variety of plants and in some sections be- 

 comes a serious pest from the habit of the caterpillar of boring into 

 stems of growing plants. It has been twice complained of to this of- 

 fice as a cotton pest, once each from the counties of Bertie and 

 Johnston. The life-stages of the insect are well shown in Fig. 23. 



