April iS 



PSrCHE. 



71 



EARLY STAGES OF SPILOSOMA LATIPENNIS. 



BY CAROLINE G. SOULE, BROOKLINE, MASS. 



The eggs, which were received from Miss 

 Morton, were laid June 9th and loth, 1893. 

 They were very small, hemispherical, pale 

 vellow-white, and were laid in an irregular 

 mat, the flat side on the paper. 



yiinc iSi/i. — The eggs grew lead-colored: 

 then two dark lines and three pinkish dots 

 showed in each egg, and just before 9 P. M. 

 the young larvae hatched. The larvae were 

 a trifle over 1-16 inch long, sparsely covered 

 with long blackish hairs, and were of a 

 pale yellow color until they grew green 

 with food There was a dark spot on each 

 side of the face, and the mouth-parts were 

 pinkish. There were three rows of dark 

 warts on the dorsum, and a dark spot on 

 eleventh segment. The larvae were slug- 

 gish, and ate little except their egg-shells 

 which were entirely eaten. Plantago major 

 was supplied. 



June 33nd. — The larvae spun little mats 

 on the tin and remained motionless, look- 

 ing thick and dull. 



June 23rd. — First moult. The larvae were 

 3-16 inch long, yellower than before, and had 

 a glassy green look after eating. The feet 

 and props were transparent, pale yellow. 

 There were no dark warts or marks, except 

 the face-marks and mouth-parts as before. 

 The hairs were black on the dorsum, white 

 elsewhere. 



June 27th. — They became quiet again, 

 after eating better in this stage. 



June zSik. — Second moult. Length 4 

 inch ; yellow and transparent, till green 

 with food. Not as glassy as before. Hairs 

 longer, and a little denser. No other 

 changes. 



July 2nd. — Became quiet. 



July srd. — Third moult. Length '% inch. 

 General eft'ect hairy and gray. Head yellow 

 with dark face-marks and mouth-parts as 

 before. Feet and props pale yellow. Body 



green with food, a broken subdorsal and 

 lateral line of gray dots on each side. Warts 

 very pale 3'ellow, with a large bright yellow- 

 one on each side of eleventh segment, just 

 below the doi'sal line. Face-marks less 

 noticeable. Hairs longer, especially over the 

 head and on eleventh segment, and with 

 more dark ones. During this stage the 

 larvae ate more, but were still very sluggish. 



July yth. — Became quiet. 



July Stli. — ^Fourth moult. Length one inch 

 in most cases. Head and feet pale yellow. 

 Props gray with pale yellow tips. Mouth- 

 parts pinkish brown. Body gray with darker 

 subdorsal and lateral lines. Warts on 

 eleventh segment pale vellow and conspic- 

 uous, elsewhere gray. Hairs almost all 

 gray, with a few white ones over the two 

 ends. The general effect was very hairy and 

 maltese gray. In this stage the larvae were 

 less sluggish, moving very rapidly, and ate 

 more Like the other "hairy caterpillars" 

 they curled up when touched or shaken from 

 the leaf. 



July I rth. — They liecaine quiet. 



July I2ih. — Fifth moult. Length i\ inches. 

 Head and feet pale yellow. Props gray with 

 yellow tips. Body dark gray. Hairs chiefly 

 tan-colored, with a few long black ones. No 

 light warts. Spiracles white and noticeable 

 for the first time, those on eleventh segment 

 being largest. 



July rjt/i. — Became quiet. 



July lytli. — Sixth moult. Length i,i 

 inches for the largest ones. Head clear yel- 

 low-brown, horny-looking, with dark brown 

 upper half. Median suture deep. Feet clear 

 yellow-brown. Props dark brown with putty- 

 colored tips. Body velvety dark brown, 

 almost black. Hairs dark tan for the lower 

 third, black the rest of their length. Spira- 

 cles very conspicuous, white, largest on 

 eleventh segment. General look — blackish- 



