142 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xm. 



NOTES ON THE LARViE OF THE HESPERIID^E. 



The larvae of the North American Hesperiidae have been much 

 neglected, yet they offer a very interesting field for study. Of the 

 foregoing species, only about forty have any larval observations pub- 

 lished. Mr. W. H. Edwards, who has made known the life histories 

 of so many North American butterflies, never seriously undertook the 

 study of those of the Hesperiidae, to our great loss. 



The larvae possess primitive setae in the first stage with the gener- 

 alized arrangement (Trans. X. V. Acad. Sci., xiv, 52, fig. 3, 1895). 

 After the first molt these are replaced by a coat of fine secondary pile. 

 The neck is almost always small, the body is thickened centrally and 

 tapers to the extremities. The feet are of the normal number. 



After the first molt, when the primitive first stage is lost, there is 

 usually very little change in the larva in structure or coloration, except 

 the usual development of the markings. But one instance is known 

 to me of marked change at the last molt, that of batabano. In this 

 insect the larva is transformed at the last ecdysis from a smooth wine- 

 red with bright yellow bands, to frosted white pitted by the non- 

 pruinose areas about the setae. 



The relationships to the other families have been briefly stated by 

 me (Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., viii, 231, 1894; Trans. X. Y. Acad. 

 Sci., xiv, 61, note, 1895). 



The food plants of the species are not as diversified as usual, grass 

 and allied plants forming the food of many of the Pamphilinae. The 

 other groups feed on more various plants. Xone of the species known 

 to me are general feeders or have any approach to such a habit ; 

 tityrus feeds on several plants, but they all belong to the pea family. 



The larvae almost invariably construct some shelter by spinning 

 together leaves or parts of them into a box-shaped retreat. This is 

 usually the first business of the newly hatched larva and the notches 

 with the bitten part folded over formed in the edges of bean leaves 

 by proteus or tityrus are characteristic of many other species. The 

 larvae of Megathymus are borers in the roots of Yucca, which habit has 

 even caused some to think them allied to the Castniidae, although the 

 larvae themselves really have no affinity therewith. 



We hope that more study will be devoted to these larvae in the 

 future. 



