19013 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



77 



silk, in which they feed, or in which they rest when not feeding. Some larvae curl up a single 

 leaf, fastening the sides with silk, and live inside the enclosure thus made until they have 

 eaten nearly the whole leaf, when they go to another leaf, and so on until they reach maturity. 

 The caterpillars of some of our common butterflies, such as Vanet-sa Milbertii, Gdt., Pyrameis 

 cardui, Linn., etc., have this habit. The larvae of the large skipper Eudamus tityrtts, Fabr., 

 which feed on the Locust-tree, Robinia Pseudacacia, L., and Nisoniades hicilhis. Lint., on 

 Aquilegias also live inside tents, which they make by drawing down a leaf to serve as a cover 

 fastening the same to another leaf immediately under. One end of the leafy case is left open 

 to enable the caterpillar to get out to feed. 



Phlyctaenia femigalis, Hbn., which is an interesting species on account of its economic 

 importance, has been called the Greenhouse Leaf-tyer, from the habit of the larvae of drawing 

 the leaves together, and tying them with silk. When this caterpillar is at rest it has the habit 

 of curling round to the side of the body the head and first three, or four, segments. Many of 

 the larvae of the smaller species of moths fold, or roll over the edge of a leaf and seal down the 

 whole of the turned edge with threads of silk. These small caterpillars live through all their 

 larval stages inside the same enclosure, in which they also change to the chrysalis state. Every- 

 one must have noticed the work of the common Basswood Leaf-roller, Pantographa limata, 

 G. & R. This larva cuts a leaf half way across the middle, and then rolls the end portion into 

 a tube, within which it lives. 



Some caterpillars when at rest assume curious positions. Many geometrid larvae have the 

 habit of extending the whole body straight out into the air, the anal prolegs and feet firmly 

 clutching the twig, or leaf, upon which they happen to be. They often remain in this position 

 for a considerable length of time, without even slightly moving the body. In numerous in- 

 stances the colour of the caterpillar, and the object upon which it is resting, is almost, if not 

 quite the same, and the larva may appear as an additional twig, the casual observer being un- 

 able to differentiate between the living caterpillar and the object upon which it rests. The 



Fii?. 54. Sphinx caterpillar. 



larvaaof the Sphingidse, or Hawk-moths, when resting have the habit of rearing the front 

 of the body into the air, curling the head and first segment, down in a most stately manner 

 (Fig. 54). They have been known to remain in this position perfectly motionless for hours. On 

 account of this habit they are when thus resting supposed to resemble the Egyptian Sphinx, 

 and owing to this resemblance the name Sphinx, and the family Sphingida; is due. 



The fruit of the raspberry is occasionally injured to some extent by the larvae of the Rasp- 

 berry Geometer, Synchlora ruhimra; Riley, Fig. 55. This caterpillar is furnished on each 

 segment with several short bristles, or spines, and has the habit of disguising itself, by at 



