WILLOW CATERPILLARS. 



567 



After first molt.— Length .22 inch ; shape about as before. The segments that were 

 reddish purple during the first stage are now black ; the others white, the tubercles 

 small, black; head bhick ; hairs from the dorsal tubercles dark gray, the others 

 white. Duration of this period, three days. 



Jfter second molt. — Length .35 inch. 



After third moZ*.— Length .60 iuch. Three dorsal stripes, a broad gray one in the 

 middle. 



JJter fourth molt.— Length I inch when at rest. Color of body yellowish green, 

 with a gray dorsal stripe ; under parts grayish brown ; the whole body covered with 

 fine yellow hairs that spring from the general surface as well as from the tubercles; 

 the tubercles scarcely distinguishable from the general surface save that from these 

 the hairs are more in clusters ; a few black hairs in place of the former black pencils. 

 Head black, the front with the usual pale inverted A ; the sides mottled with black 

 and pale brown. Duration four to five days. 



Mature /arua.— Length when crawliug 1.60 inches, when at rest 1.40 inches. 

 (French.) 



PMi>a.— Cylindrical, tapering gradually from segment 5 back, the tongue-case ex- 

 tending only to the anterior part of segment 5 ; the anterior part of the abdominal 

 segments finely punctured; head rounded, mahogany-brown, the wing-cases and 

 outer anterior parts darker. Cremaster a series of short hooks extending out later- 

 ally. Duration of the period two hundred and sixty-nine to two hundredand seventy- 

 five days. Length .80 inch ; to end of wing-cases .40, these extending almost to the 

 posterior part of segment 5. (French.) 



22. Apatela oblinita (Abb.-Sra.). 



Abbot states that the larva feeds in Georgia on the willow and cot- 

 ton, the moth appearing in April. Grote mentions the willow as its 

 food-plant (Papilio, ii, p. 99), while Thaxter states that it feeds on the 

 button bush and various meadow plants. 



In his third report as State 

 Entomologist of Illinois, Prof. 

 S. A. Forbes states that the 

 leaves of the willow at Nor- 

 mal were generally infested 

 both in 1883 and 1884 by the 

 larvae of Apatela ohlinita, those 

 collected July 6. pupating on 

 the 11th aud emerging on the 

 29th. 



" This insect hibernates in 

 the cocoon, aud seems to be 

 either single or double 

 brooded, according to lati- 

 tude. In Missouri there are 

 two broods in a year, by Pro- 

 fessor Riley's account, the 

 moths of the first brood escaping from the cocoons in May (the larvte 

 resulting appearing chiefly in June) ; and the second brood of moths 

 occurring in July and the larvae late in the fall. In the Northeast, the 



Fig. 191. —Apatela oblinita; a. larva; &, cocoon; 

 moth. JRiley del. 



