11 



ENTOMOLOGICAL COIN TRIBUTIONS. 



By E. B. Reed, London, Ont. 



1. The Io Moth (Saturnin lo). , .. . , , ^ 



2. The Flat-heaped Apple-tkeb Bokek {Otrysohotlms femorata). 

 S. The Locust Tree Borer (CTi/tits picUts). 



1. The Io Moth Satumia {Hyperchiria) Io. [Fabr]. . 

 Order, Lepidoptera ; Family, Bombtcid^. 

 This lovely moth is weU worthy a place in the cabinet of the collector, and fiom its bril- 

 Uant colouring' and conspicuous markings is always sure to f '««' °°''''; ^°^^\^,X'*'°°r . „^ 

 The moth belongs to a family which has received the name of " BoMBYCEb from 

 Bomh,,, the ancient name of the silk worm. As, however, it is ,n the larval or Caterpillar 

 state that this insect more frequently meets our eye, we will begm by a description of it in 

 that stiige. The full grown larva of which, fig. 1 is '•'" ' 



an admirable representation, is of a most delicate apple 

 or pea-green colour with a broad dusky white stripe 

 at e;ich side bordered with lilac on the lower edge. 

 The body is covered with spreading clusters of green 

 bristles tipped with black. These bristles are exceed- 

 ingly sharp, and when the insect is handled will pro- 

 duce a very irritating sting similar to but much sharper 

 than that of the nettle, and the effect of which causes 

 a reddening of the flesh and the immediate appearance 

 of raised white blotches which last for a considerable 

 time Fig. No. 2 shews the appearance of these 

 bristles, some of them as ft, being stouter and more 

 acute than the others and able to inflict a sharper and 

 more penetrating sting. This stinging property li- 

 very curious and is not very easily explained ; Mr. C. 

 V. Riley writing of a very similar insect, the Satumia 

 Main, says, " that the sting is caused by the prick of 

 the spines, and not by their getting broken in the 

 flesh. From the fact that the spines appear hollow, 

 one would naturally attribute their irritating power to some poisonous 

 fluid which they eject into the puncture. But I have been unable 

 to resolve any apical aperture, nor was Mr. Lintner more successful. 

 Hence I infer that the irritating property belongs to the substance of 

 which the spines are formed, and this opinion is strengthened by the 

 fact that those of a dead larva, or of a cast-otV skin which has been m 

 my cabinet for several years, still retain the irritating power, though so 

 brittle tliat it is not easy to insert them." 



Tn the earlier sta-os the caterpillars are gregarious, feeding together side by side and in 

 going to and returning from their place of shelter, moving in regular files after the manner of 

 the processionary caterpillars of Europe {C'lmicaiiijiu iiroct'ssionea). This marching habit is 

 so very i)eculiar that it is well worth describing. Though the insects move without beat of 

 drum they maintain as much regularity in their steps as a file of soldiers. The celebrated 

 naturalist Reaumur, writing of the European Procession Moth says, " I kept some for a little 



