174 Journal New York Entomological Society. [voi. iv. 



This larva is on the whole the most highly specialized North Ameri- 

 can Eucleid. It belongs to the group of smooth Eucleids, but is the 

 only one in which the primitive first stage has disappeared. Though it 

 lacks the specializations of the spined Eucleids, it exceeds them by the 

 number of its peculiar modifications, namely, the union of the ridges to 

 the exclusion of the lateral space, the high modification and development 

 of the depressed spaces and the conversion of the skin granules into 

 scales. 



Affinities, Habits, Etc. 



The genus Eidimacodes was founded by Moeschler on a species 

 from Surinam. A larva apparently identical with our scapha is figured 

 by Sepp (Suranim. Vlinders, PI. 129) from this locality, but the moth, 

 which he calls gibbosa, is quite distinct. Of our two species one is found 

 in Arizona and doubtless occurs farther south. Therefore we may re- 

 gard the present species, scapha, to be of South American origin and we 

 should not expect to find it represented in the European fauna. 



The moths fly in July and the larval stages occupy the summer months, 

 the insects reaching maturity in August and September. The eggs are 

 laid singly and the larvae live on the under sides of the leaves, solitary, 

 though not greatly scattered, as often several or many occur on the same 

 plant. 



There is a wide range in variation with something of a local ten- 

 dency. In Long Island the form with smooth subdorsal ridge is common, 

 with no hump or only one small one (Plate VII, fig. 13). The back is 

 green or variously spotted with yellow and brown, rarely entirely brown, 

 the sides generally green. In the wooded parks near New York the single 

 or double humped form is more common, often with brown markings on 

 the sides. The larva shown in fig. 14 was collected at Fort Lee, N. J., 

 and a curious example with two humps on one ridge and but one on the 

 other occurred at Scarsdale, N. Y. I have collected a long series with 

 a wide range in variation near Woodstock in Greene county. 



I am indebted to Miss Morton for a number of young larvK and to 

 Mr. Doll for fertile eggs and cocoons. Mrs. Knopf has kindly assisted 

 with the plate. 



Criticism of Previous Descriptions. 



We have several recognizable figures of this peculiar larva, but no full 

 account of its life history. Dr. Packard describes two of the early stages, 



calling them " II ?" and " IV, or that before the last." I infer from the 



