2 Tre 
The Eggs and Larve of Cerathosia tricolor, Swih. 
By Geo. D.. Hutst. 
About the middle of April, I received a letter from a correspondent 
in Central Texas, telling me that he had sent by mail a box with some 
eges enclosed, of the much discussed Cerashosia tricolor. He was, how- 
ever, unable to give any indication of the food plant. When the box 
arrived all the larvee had emerged, and the most were dead, but a few 
still had life enough to move about, and very much to my surprise were 
lively little Geometers ! 
The eggs are spherical, somewhat flattened, and much grooved and 
grained. 
The caterpillars on emerging are about one-eighth of an inch in 
length, head dark, broad, deeply indented at the summit between the 
eyes; front triangular with apex at indentation of summit. Mandibles 
with 5 teeth. The eyes are marked with 8 or 10 scattered hairs. 
Body cylindrical, with segments very slightly if at all swollen. Each 
segment has, rather irregularly located, from 14 to 20 piliferous spots 
each one with one perpendicular hair, or two divergent ones. Those 
armed with two hairs constitute about one-third of the whole number. 
These hairs as well as the body are dark brown or blackish in color. 
There are only six pairs of*legs in all, the two anterior pairs of ab- 
dominal legs being almost entirely aborted, though still evident. They 
are however in no way used in walking, and the motion of the cater- 
pillar is entirely geometriform, the central part of the body being fully 
arched, and the hind pairs of legs being brought close to the pro-legs in 
progression. 
To what extent this will clear up the systematic position of the in- 
sect, 1am unable to say. The spines are decidedly arctiiform, but the 
existence of 12 legs only in the larva seems to put it where Mr. Grote 
thinks it belongs, as allied to Aconfia and Spraguia. The larve of 
Acontia have, I believe, 10 legs only. The larve of the species of 
Spraguia are so far as 1 know unknown, but the larve of the nearly 
allied European genus Agrophila has 12 legs and thus corresponds. with 
the larvee of Cerathosia. As far as I can learn however the larvee of both 
Acontia and Agrophila are naked. 
I was unable to find any plant of which the larva would partake. 
Indeed, it is doubtful whether enough strength remained to any to live 
even if a proper food plant had been found. At any rate the larvae were 
not carried beyond emergence from the egg. 
