100 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The Caterpillars in St. Lawrence County. 



A few of the caterpillars (not more than four or five examples) 

 were among my collections in the towns of Canton and Potsdam, on 

 May 19th and 20th. Upon my return to Albany, when it was found 

 that nearly all of the Crambus larvae which I had collected, had died, 

 and it was doubtful if any would mature, in compliance with my 

 request for additional specimens, a box of fifty or more larvse was sent 

 to me, with the following interesting statement of their abundance, 

 under date of May 23d.* 



" Last Saturday (21st), the farmers reported that the caterpillars 

 were dying, as they found the dead skins under the ground. This morn- 

 ing I went to our pasture to see if this was so. I found comparatively 

 few such as were seen last week, but under every stick I turned, ex- 

 cept two, were larvae, such as sent by express to you to-day, together 

 with cast-off skins of last molt. It appears, therefore, that instead of 

 dying, they were molting. Under about twenty sticks I found one 

 hundred larvae such as sent, some few of 2d and 3d molt [C. vulgiva- 

 gellus], and three of other Lepidoptera." 



They were large, stout, caterpillars, as represented in Fig. 24, of 

 from one inch and a quarter to rather more than one 

 inch and a half in length, with a yellowish head, a broad 

 pale band upon the sides in which are the breathing- 

 pores (spiracles), and in the most distinctly marked ex- 

 amples, with five additional lines upon the back and 

 sides, more or less distinct. Their general color was of 

 an olive-green. 



That it was thought at the first, both by my corre- 

 spondent and myself that these might be but an advanced 

 stage of the forms previously collected,! may find excuse 

 in that it was expected that the latter had still one or 

 two molts to undergo before attaining their maturity. 

 Such extensive depredations as observed had been men- 

 tally associated with a species at least as large as Leu- 

 cania unipicncia, and to attain this size two additional 

 moltings would be required. It was not thought that 

 Fig '>4— Cater- ^^^^J ^^®^'® "*^^^* ni^iturity ; when, therefore, they so sud- 

 piiiar of the Vio- (jenly disappeared, and at the same time, another form 

 Nephelodes vio- was discovered in large number, together with their cast 

 size. '~ skins, it was but natural to accept the two phases as the 



*For these examples, for additional sendings, for valuable observations, communicated 

 to me from time to time, upon this species and Crambus vulgivagellus, and for first con- 

 veying to me the information of the abundant presence of these species, and for many 

 other similar favors, I desire to express my deep obligations to Miss A. Clarkson, of Pots- 

 dam, New York. 



t For an account of these collections see the pages upon Crambus vulgivagellus larviE. 



