Americana 



VOL. YI. 



BROOKLYN, OCTOBER, 1890. 



No. 10. 



PREPARATORY STAGES OF DATANA PALMII Beut. 



BY HARRISON G. DYAR. 



Egg. — Subspherical, flattened and slightly hollowed at the 

 base. The top is centrally strongly depressed, this depression sur- 

 rounded by a circular elevated ridge of considerable thickness. In 

 the centre of the vertex is a circular punctiform depression, resem- 

 bling a little hole. Color uniform sublustrous white. Diameter 

 I.I mm. ; height S mm. 



Laid in masses of 75 or less on the underside of a leaf of the 

 food-plant, usually near the top of the bush. The larva hatches by 

 eating away the top of the egg, but leaves the sides untouched. 



First Stage. — Head black and shining; width .5 mm. Body 

 brown, with four lateral and three ventral dull yellowish stripes wider 

 than the intervening spaces. Cervical shield, anal plate and feet, 

 black. The hairs arise from minute blackish warts. 



During this stage the larvae eat only the parenchyma of the 

 leaf and sit with the extremities of their bodies elevated like the 

 other species of the genus. 



Second Stage. — Head higher than wide, flat in front, black 

 (in a few examples brownish), smooth and shining. Width .9 mm. 

 Furnished with a few pale hairs. Body reddish brown, the stripes 

 yellowish. Cervical shield, anal plate and feet shining black. 

 During this and subsequent stages the larvae eat the whole leaf, 

 remaining together upon one twig until it is defoliated. 



Third Stage. — Head black to blackish red in different exam- 

 ples; eyes and mouth black. Width 1.6 mm. Body dark reddish 



Entomologica Americana. Vol. VI. 



October, 1S90. 



