INSECTS OF THE PRICKLY ASH. 661 



approached they usually go deeper in, if possible. I uever took one 

 by beating on the bushes. 1 saw one on the trunk of a prickly ash, 

 but it escaped bj' falling to the ground. 



Theheeile. — In the genus Micracis the funicle is six-jointed; club pubescent and 

 aunulated on both sides, outer joints of funicle slighter broader, not fringed ; elytra 

 aculeate at tip. 



In this species the club of the antennae is more than one-half longer than wide ; 

 the gnlar space between the eyes is wide ; the punctures of the elytra are fine and 

 arranged in numerous distinct rows ; there are a few short hairs near the tip in some 

 specimens, but in others even these are wanting. Length, 2.5"" (.10 inch). 



3. The hog caterpillar of the orange. 



Papilio cresphontes Fabr. 

 Order Lepidoptera ; family Papilionid^ 



The following account of this caterpillar, which is said by Mr. Barnes 

 (Psyche, iii, p. 162) to feed on the hop tree, is taken from Professor 

 Comstock's report for 1880, also Mr. Hubbard's report on Orange 

 Insects, who states that it "is found commonly in the swamps of 

 Florida, feeding upon the tupelo {Nyssa aquatica L.) and upon the 

 red bay {Persea caroUnensis Nees.) It seems, however, to prefer the 

 orange and its relatives to all other plants." Besides the prickly ash, 

 according to Mr. Saunders, it lives on Dictammus fraxinella in Canada 

 West (Rept. Eut. Soc. Ontario, 1880). In Texas it feeds on Zan- 

 thoxylum carolinianum (Boll, Psyche, ii, p. 289). In southern Illinois the 

 prickly ash is its usual food (French). There are two broods in south- 

 ern Illinois. 



"In speaking of the caterpillar of this butterfly in his report on orange 

 insects (Patent Office Report, Agriculture, 1858, p. 265), Mr. Glover 

 stated that it was very injurious to the foliage of the orange. Boisduval 

 and Le Conte (Histoire des Lepidopteres et des Chenilles de I'Amerique 

 Septentrionale 1833) say concerning this caterpillar that it lives upon 

 all the trees of the genus Citrus, and is in some parts of America in a 

 measure a scourge to the orange growers. I, myself, found several of 

 the chrysalides upon orange trees in my recent visit to Florida, and 

 since my return specimens of the caterpillars have been sent to the 

 department by Mr. G. W. Means, of Micopany, Fla.; Mr. H. S. Will- 

 iams, Rock Ledge, Fla. ; and Mrs. Rebecca A. Minor, of Houma, La., 

 all reporting them as doing more or less damage to orange foliage. Mr. 

 A. T. Harvey, of Lake Griffin P. O., Sumter County, Fla., informs 

 me that he has had many orange seedlings completely defoliated by 

 these larvae — ' orange dogs,' as they call them in that part of the 

 country." 



The eggs. — Deposited singly upon the leaves; are subglobular in form, some- 

 what flattened on the side of attachment, and yellowish white in color after hatch- 

 ing. What their color is before hatching we are unable to say, as the only specimen 

 received at the Department hatched on the journey. They were sent by Dr. Turner 



