ATTACKING THE LEAVES. 83 



thirds of its length, followed by a small yellow patch, which 

 is succeeded by a larger black spot, centred with a crescent of 

 blue atoms, and bounded below by an irregular reddish spot, 

 margined within with yellow. The hind wings terminate in 

 two long black tails edged on the inside with yellow. The 

 body is black above, margined with pale yellowish; below, 

 yellowish streaked with black. The under surface of the 

 wings resembles the upper, but is paler. 



This insect passes the winter in the chrysalis state, and ap- 

 pears first on the wing from the middle to the end of May, 

 but becomes more plentiful during the latter part of June and 

 early in July. The eggs are deposited singly on the leaves 

 of the apple and other trees and shrubs on which the larva 

 feeds ; they are about one-twenty-fourth of an inch in diame- 

 ter, nearly round, of a dark-green color, with a smooth sur- 

 face. In about ten or twelve days, the eggs begin to change 

 oolor, becoming darker, and growing very dark just before 

 the escape of the larvae. The very young caterpillars are 

 black, roughened with small brownish-blacic tubercles, with 

 the first segment thickened, of a dull, glossy flesh color, a 

 prominent fleshy tubercle on each side, and a patch of white 

 on the seventh and eighth segments. 



When full grown, it appears as in Fig. 81. It is then 

 from an inch and a half to two inches long, with a rather 

 large reddish-brt)wn 



head, and a green ^*^' ^^* 



body, which is thick- 

 est towards tlie head 

 and tapers posteri- 

 orly. On the an- "^'""^ ~*^'''^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^._- 

 terior segments the 



green is of a darker shade, but paler on the sides of the 

 body, and partly covered with a whitish bloom. On the 

 front edge of the first segment is a raised yellow fold, which 

 slightly overhangs the head, and from which, when irri- 

 tated, the larva protrudes a yellow, fleshy, forked organ, at 



