THE LEPIDOPTERTST 59 



days. The little caterpillars eat the soft outside of 

 the leaves and show a tendency to burrow into the 

 flower and leaf joints. The pupae are to be found 

 encased in a loose cocoon, usually fastened to the 

 moss and on account of its similar gray color it is a 

 singularly difficult thing to see. 



Pholus fasciatus : The food plant of this is given 

 as any species of Viticeae but I have never found 

 a caterpillar of this lovely hawk-moth on anything 

 save a species of Jussiaea, probably J. leptocarpa — a 

 tall shrub-like weed with yellow primrose-like flowers, 

 that grows in damp places. The caterpillar of this 

 moth is dimorphic, some are banded in colors like a 

 stick of candy, other are almost solid green with only 

 a slight white striping. 



Syntomedia epilais : The oleander hedges of Key 

 West are a fruitful hunting ground for this species 

 while in the larval state. I have not taken it north 

 of that point. 



Cydosia majuscula : The food plant I do not know 

 but I suspect the oak as I have found numerous lar- 

 vae and pupae on fences that enclosed groves of oaks, 

 the queer little baskets hanging to the barbed wire. 



Apantesis placentia : Have found the caterpillars 

 on the common low scrub oak but could not swear 

 that same was its food plant. 



Sierarctia echo : Holland gives the food plant of 

 this as the Sabal palmetto but my experience after 

 raising hundreds of specimens is that the natural food 

 plant is the "coontie" or Zamia integrifolia. They 

 will eat the blossom buds of the low saw-palmetto 

 but I have yet to find one on sabal or cabbage pal- 

 metto. 



Halisidota longa : the food plant is a wide-bladed 

 marsh grass that grows near fresh water lakes and 

 ponds. The caterpillars can be found just before 

 dark and look very much like Tsia isabella. 



Composia fidclissima : the flies can be taken on 

 the wing in the bright sunshine on most any of the 

 extreme lower Keys of Florida. 



