gS SECOND REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. " 



The popular name given to this insect of the " Currant Amphidasys " 

 is in consideration of its having been found to be more destructive to the 

 currant than to other of the food-plants upon which it occurs. On one 

 occasion a small black currant bush was observed as presenting a pe- 

 culiar appearance, as if only the bare stalks of the leaves were remain- 

 ing upon the branches. On closer examination the supposed stalks 

 proved to be the bodies of caterpillars of this species, resting in their 

 customary manner, clinging to the branches with their anal legs, 

 and holding their bodies extended (Bowles, loc cit.). Twenty-four of 

 the caterpillars were collected from the one bush. 



This species, as appears above, belongs to the family of Geometrida^ 

 so called from the peculiar gait that the larvae have in walking. The 

 larger number have but ten legs (a few have twelve or fourteen) instead 

 of the ordinary number belonging to caterpillars, viz., sixteen; of these? 

 the three pairs of the front segments of the body are placed closely together 

 and the two hinder pairs quite at the other extremity. At rest they clasp 

 the twig upon which they are placed, with the two terminal pairs of 

 prolegs, extending the body rigidly outward at an acute angle with the 

 twig, with the front legs folded so closely together and against the head as 

 not to be visible. In this attitude they are scarcely to be recognized as 

 living objects. Their obscure colors and some rugosities of surface 

 make them resemble closely a piece of dried twig, for which they are 

 often mistaken. In walking, the head is brought downward, and the 

 branch is seized by the front legs. The body is then arched upward in a 

 loop like the Greek letter Ow^^f, and the hinder legs brought close to the 

 front ones. The front legs are again thrust forward as far as possible 

 for another grasp, and thus successive spaces are measured off, which 

 are frequently about one inch in length; and from this the name of 

 " inch worms " has been given to them, in addition to " Geometers " and 

 "loopers." 



The Caterpillar. 



Tlie insect has not, up to the present, I believe been figured in its larval 

 stage, and we therefore take pleasure in presenting a figure of it drawn 

 by Miss Emily L. Morton, of Newburg, N. Y. It is represented as feed- 

 ing upon the honey-locust, Bobinia pseiidacacia, which in that locality 

 seemed to be its favorite food-plant. 



From two of the larvse, obtained by me in September, nearly full- 

 grown, the following description is taken : 



Length 1.6 inch; greatest diameter toward terminal segments, 0.2 

 inch, gradually tapering thence anteriorly. Head, dull yellowish, sub- 

 quadrate, but excavated above into two horn-like protuberances (with 

 reddish-brown granulations) which are brown posteriorly. Body, dull 



