THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 221 



NOTES ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF ESTIGMENE PRIMA 



SLOSSON. 



BY ALBERT F. WINN, WESTMOUNT, Q. 



My acquaintance with this "many-spotted ermine moth" was first 

 made on June 12, 1897, when Mr. Dwight Brainerd and I visited the 

 entomologically famous Gomin Swamp near Quebec city, under the 

 guidance of Rev. Dr. Fyles, in search of Œneis juita and other 

 Lepidoptera. In one particularly moist spot my eye was attracted 

 downwards and observed a pair of these moths in coitu. My first 

 impression \vas that they must be a northern variety of Spilosoma 

 cofigrua (afitigone) with the black spottings exaggerated. The female 

 was kept alive and laid a good supply of eggs wiiich duly hatched, but 

 through illness I was unable to attend to their needs. Mr. Lyman 

 afterwards took the moths to Washington where Dr. Dyar determined 

 them as E. prima Slosson. Figures of this species are given in this 

 magazine, Vol. XXXH, pi. 4, figs. 9 & 10. 



No further specimens came my w^ay till June 4th, 1910, when at 

 Shawbridge, Que., in the Laurentian Mts. about 40 miles north of 

 Montreal I captured a battered specimen flying, or rather driven by 

 the cold high wind. It was found to be a female and was therefore 

 boxed for eggs. Three were laid almost immediately. Next day, June 

 5th, a batch of 45 was deposited; on the 6th, 27; on the 7th, 11; 

 and on the 8th, 36. Total 122 eggs, all laid in daytime and arranged 

 in irregular masses. The moth was then killed to preserve what little 

 was left of it. 



In order to have a better chance of breeding the larvae I asked 

 my friend Mr. Arthur Gibson of Ottawa to take half of the eggs, which 

 he kindly consented to do. For some reason his little larvae refused 

 both plantain and dandelion, and of other foods offered they selected 

 apple, but unfortunately soon died. I at once re-divided mine which 

 were thriving on plantain and also gave about a dozen to Mr. Lyman 

 who was just leaving on a trip to. Europe. We all succeeded in rear- 

 ing the caterpillars to full growth and into pupa, Mr. Lyman having 

 considerable difficulty in obtaining a supply of plantain leaves in the 

 beautifully kept lawns of England, but mine alone produced moths. 



For various causes none of us kept a complete record of all the 

 stages but for the following imperfect record I am indebted to both 

 Mr. Gibson and Mr. Lyman for the notes they made w^hich have been 

 included with my own. 



July, 1912 



