PREPARATORY STAGES OF CATOCALA 

 AMATRIX, Hubn. 



Bv G. H. French, Carbondale, III. 



Egg. — Somewhat spheroidal in shape, the longitudinal diameter 

 being- .02 inch and the transverse .035 inch. They are ridged longi- 

 tudinally, 14 of these reaching the punctured area at the apex, these 

 alternating with shorter ones that do not reach so far. The base is 

 scarcely more flattened than the apex. Color very pale dull olive. 

 Duration of this period from 200 to 249 days. 



Young Larva. — Length .12 inch. Color brown, one dorsal and 

 three lateral stripes a little darker than the rest of the body, hairs and 

 head concolorous, the number of feet 12. Toward the close ol this 

 period the sides are more of a brownish yellow with four reddish brown 

 stripes, the lower or substigmatal not clearly discernible at first, and on 

 the venter dark brown spots in the centre of joints 4 to 8. Duration 

 of this period six days. 



After first Moult. — Length .35 inch. Color of the dorsum brownish 

 buff, the sides dark purplish brown; by transmitted light it may 

 be seen divided into four more or less distinct lines, the pale alter- 

 nate lines narrow and faint. Head brown not very dark, with faint 

 traces of lines. Scarcely a trace of the centre of the dorsum being 

 lighter than the rest of the dorsum. Venter pale, joints four to eight 

 with each a central black spot. First and second abdominal legs about 

 one-fourth the size of the others. Duration of this period four days. 



After second Moult. — Length .65 inch. More striped than be- 

 fore, a dorsal stripe somewhat moniliform, the centre purplish brown 

 on a yellow field or the outer part of the stripe yellow. Subdorsal line 

 yellow, between this and the dorsal stripe a stripe the color of the cen- 

 tre of the dorsal stripe. Joint 8 a little raised and all but the centre 

 blackish. Subdorsal region two stripes, the upper like the second 

 dorsal, the lower almost black; the substigmatal line and the one sepa- 

 rating the two stripes gray. Head striped with a number of blackish 

 longitudinal lines. Thoracic feet yellow, the others yellow with a black 

 base. The black is a smoky purplish black and not clear. Venter pale 

 yellow with the usual black spots. Duration of this period three days. 



After third Moult. — Length .75 inch. As before, the dorsal space 

 is composed of three stripes, and each side to the lower part of 

 stigmata two. The central of the three dorsal stripes somewhat ellip- 

 tical on each joint, the central part pale dull reddish yellow, outside of 

 this clear pale yellow. The division between this and the next stripe 

 a more or less distinct black line composed of a series of dots, a simi- 

 lar series of dots, marking the dixision between the reddish vellow and 



