1905 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 119 



insects are sufficiently abundant to be destructive enough to cultivated plants 

 to cause alarm. As a rule it is only a very small number of plants which 

 are attacked. The presence of these borers in gardens can usually be de- 

 tected by the unhealthy appearance of the plants, the tops in most instances 

 having become withered and fallen down to one side. 



The SpiiiiEA Leaf-tyer, OJethreutes heviidesma, Zell. In 1901 the leaves 

 of several of the Spiraeas in the Arboretum of the Central Experimental 

 Farm, were drawn together at the tips of the plants by beautiful little 

 larvse about half an inch in length. Specimens of these were collected on 

 June 18 and moths reared, the first one emerging on July 3. These cater- 

 pillars were fairly abundant on a few bushes and their feeding places could 

 easily be detected at the tips of the branches. The caterpillar is very dark 

 velvety green, with conspicuous rows of white tubercles on the body, each 

 of which bears a long slender hair. The head is tawny, with a distinct 

 black band on the posterior margin of cheek; ocelli and antennae black. 

 Thoracic shield concolorous with head centrally, but black on most of the 

 lower third. Thoracic feet black. Specimens of the moths were kindly 

 identified by Mr. W. D. Kearfott. 



The Aster Shark, Cucullia convexipennis, G. & R. At Ottawa the larvse 

 of this noctuid moth are some years fairly abundant feeding chiefly on the 

 the flowers of China asters. They have never been abundant enough to do 

 very serious injury, as a rule not more than one or two specimens being 

 found on the same plant. Full grown specimens have been found during 

 the latter part of August and in September. TJie caterpillar is a rather 

 striking one when mature, measuring over an inch and a half in length, 

 with a wide reddish band uown the centre of the back, on either side of 

 which are four or five dark brown irregular lines, the colour between being 

 white. The sides are white with transverse bands of brown. Just above 

 the feet is a bright, wide band of red. On the under side are some more 

 irregular lines. The head and front feet are shiny black, the hind feet 

 being dark brown. When present on a plant the larvae are generally seen 

 lying among the florets, and as a rule are quite conspicuous, although 

 sometimes they are rather difficult to detect on account of their colours re- 

 sembling those of the flowers. Occasionally we have seen specimens resting 

 on the stems of the plants. 



The Mint Sphinx, Sphinx eremitus, Hbn. On several occasions we have 

 found, at Ottawa, the full grown caterpillar of this beautiful hawk-moth, 

 feeding in flower gardens on Monarda and mint. The species is not at all 

 common in Ontario, and collected specimens are always considered good 

 finds. Two dates on which we have found the larvae are 25th August- and 

 20th vSeptember. 



The Bordered Sallov^^, Pyrrhia umbra, Hufn. The young larva, o-reen 

 spotted with black, of this noctuid have the habit of eating into the bu'ds of 

 Delphinium, Aquilegia and many other garden flowers. The larvEe are 

 also frequently found late in the year on many low plants, particularly on 

 different species of Polygonum. There are two distinct forms of this larva, 

 one being green spotted with black tubercles and having conspicuous dark 

 longitudinal stripes, the other milk-white with a cross-shaped orange blotch 

 in the centre of each segment on dorsum. This latter form also has markings 

 along the body but these are indistinct. 



The Bronze Copper, Chrysophanus thoe,, Bdv. (Fig. 57.) In the Botanic 

 Garden at the Experimental Farm, plants of the genus Polygonum, are al- 

 most every season, more or less, attacked by the caterpillars of the above 

 butterfly. These infestations are never very serious, but on one or two 



