Twelfth REroRT of the State Entomologist 185 



25th, when the earliest had taken the position for the 30! molt, having a 

 length of o 35 in. The preparation for the molt is made by leaving the 

 plant and selecting a place on the top of the jar containing the larvae, 

 where each spins a web of three times the area of its body, in which it 

 may securely fasten its prolegs — such attachment being apparently 

 necessary for its successful escape from the cast skin. 



October 27th. Third molt commenced. Ended on the 30th. 

 Color dull red. The brown has become black and its area is extending, 

 as segment 3 is also black, in addition to 4, 5, 8 to 10. On the ter- 

 minal segment (12) the two subdorsal tubercles are shining-black. On 

 the evening of the 31st, the first two took position for the 4th molt — 

 length 0.45 in. With very few exceptions (the result perhaps of disturb- 

 ance) the larvae after their molting reverse their position and entirely 

 consume their cxuvia. 



November ist. Fourth molt commenced — i molted; on 2d, 10 

 molted; on 3d all of previous molt had ceased feeding, and were in 

 position on the lid and sides of the glass jar, for their approaching molt — 

 a. few only remained upon the leaves. The molting was completed on 

 the morning of the 5th. Portions of about 20 per cent, of the exuvi» 

 were uneaten. In several instances the larv^ were seen to commence 

 feeding upon the spines, biting them off in small pieces, before attacking 

 the skin. The withdrawal from the old skin occupied about a minute. 

 The spines, first appressed to the body beneath the old skin, appear as 

 wet places, but at once begin to expand and dry. Their final adjust- 

 ment is apparently hastened by the contortions in which the larva throws 

 Itself, by resting on three pairs of prolegs, and with the two extremities 

 raised and curved over the back, almost touching one another, 

 frequently twisting, at short intervals, from side to side. In about an 

 hour after emerging, the meal upon the exuviae is commenced. 



With its longer spines, the caterpillar is nov/ nearly twice as broad as 

 before, but not much increased in length, averaging but 0.5 in. The cen- 

 tral and terminal segments are still red, but diminished in extent and less 

 conspicuous than before — the red of the extremities being nearly con- 

 cealed beneath the long black spines radiating from the tubercles. The 

 legs, prolegs, and ventral surface ate red, the plantae of the prolegs being 

 quite pale — almost a flesh color. The spines on segments 6 and 7 are 

 dusky, interspersed with a few black ones; length of spines equal to 

 the diameter of the body. The head is red with black ocelli, the 

 mandibles black-tipped, and with a few perpendicular black lines on the 

 clypeus. On the 5th the more advanced larvae show the red ring on the 



