38 



dish yellow. The head is black, and there is a wide black stripe down the back, merging 

 into a series of spots of the same, which extend nearly the whole remaining length of 

 body. The sides of the body are reddish yellow, with a row of blackish dots close to the 

 under surface. The fore legs are beautifully tufted with white, the shoulder covers also 

 are white, and so is the under surftxce of the body. 



When this moth is at rest — that is, during the day time — its wings are closed like a 

 roof over its back, and its tufted fore legs are stretched out. 



The insect passes the winter in the chrysalis state, emerging as a moth from the 

 middle of June to the middle of July. The earliest recorded date we have of the appear- 

 ance of the moth is June 25th. It is usually common during the last week in June and 

 the first in July, when it may often be found in the day time fast asleep on the leaves of 

 the grape vine. 



Soon after the moths appear they begin to deposit their eggs. These are among the 

 prettiest and most beautiful of insect eggs ; at e, fig. 20 (after Riley), we have a view of the 

 upper surface, and at / a side view of this charming Fig. 20. 



object. It is round and very flat ; its colour is yel- 

 lowish or greenish yellow, with an enclosed ring of 

 black placed a little beyond the middle, and some- 

 times nearer to the outer margin. In the centre of 

 the egg is a large, nearly round dot, and at a little 

 distance from this a circle of smaller dots, from which 

 arise a series of from 24 to 27 raised striae, divergint; 

 equally as they approach the outer edge, and crossed 

 by many gracefully curving lines which interlace also the spaces between. 



When mature, the young caterpillar escapes from the upper part of the egg, lifting 

 the centre and rupturing the portion placed over the black ring. In some cases we have 

 observed the eggshell to be eaten by the newly hatched larva ; in others it remains almost 

 untouched. The young larvre have a strange habit of twisting their hinder segments and 

 throwing them forward, resting on the anterior segments in a curious manner. At this 

 age they eat small holes all over the vine leaves in different parts ; they are often solitary, 

 but sometimes two or three may be found on a single leaf. 



When mature, the full grown larva appears as at a, fig 20 ; it is then nearly one and 

 a-half inches long, tapering towards the head, thickening towards the posterior extremity. 

 The head is of an orange colour, with a few round black dots and pale brownish hairs. 



The body above is pale bluish, crossed by bands of orange and many lines of black. 

 Each segment, excepting the terminal one, is crossed by an orange band, all of which are 

 nearly uniform in width, excepting that on the 12th segment, which is much wider. 

 These are all more or less dotted with round black dots, from each one of which arises a 

 single short brown hair. There are also crossing each segment six black lines, placed 

 nearly at equal distances along each side, but with a wider space in the middle, where the 

 orange band occurs. The twelfth segment is much raised, and the terminal one suddenly 

 sloped. The under side is very like the upper, and also marked with orange and black ; 

 feet and prolegs orange, spotted with black. 



The larva} feed on Virginia Creeper (Ampdcrpsis quinquefolia) as well as on the grape- 

 vine, and Mr. Bowles, of Montreal, has found them feeding on the hop. 



When full grown, they descend to .seek some secure retreat in which to pass the 

 chrysalis, or inactive stage of their existence. They are fond of boring into old pieces of 

 wood, and in the chambers thus formed they find secure lodgment ; they will also bore 

 into corn cobs. When rearing them we have supplied pieces of cork for this purpose, 

 and have had as many as twenty-one chrysalids enclosed within two small bungs about 

 1^ inches in diameter, and one inch thick. The excavation is but little larger than the 

 chrysalis which is to rest in it ; it is not lined with silk, but is made moderately smooth, 

 and is furnished with a cap or cover composed of minute fragments of cork, formed into a 

 sort of membrane by means of a glutinous secretion mixed with threads of silk. When 

 nicely finished, the surface of this cover is slightly glossy, the glossiness extending a little 

 beyond the actual orifice, indicating that the glutinous matter has been of a thin consis- 

 tence and has spread a little during its application. When the lid is lifted the head of 

 the chrysalis is usually found quite close to it. 



