THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



No. 30.] JULY, MDCCCLXVI. [Price 6d. 



Description of the Larva of Smerinthus oceUatus . — The 

 eggs are laid singly on the leaves of various species of Salix, 

 and not unfrequently on apple trees in gardens, generally in 

 the month of June, and the young larvae emerge in about 

 eleven days, and are full-fed in August. The larva vests on 

 a twig of its food-plant, attached by the 2nd, .3rd, 4th and 

 anal claspers, elevating the fore part of its body ; the head is 

 prone, and the mouth touches the first pair of legs ; all the 

 legs are crowded together and directed forwards, the first 

 pair brought into contact with the mouth : the larva never 

 falls from its food-plant or feigns death, unless its statuesque 

 immobility may be so interpreted ; the head is rather long 

 and narrow, the outline of the face conical, the crown pointed 

 but not acute ; it is sparingly covered with minute points, 

 giving it a rough feeling to the touch ; the body is obese and 

 cylindrical, transversely wrinkled throughout, the wrinkles 

 dividing each segment into eight transverse sections, each of 

 which is beset with raised points, which give the entire sur- 

 face the appearance and feel of shagreen ; the back is straight 

 until the 12th segment, when its outline descends at a right 

 angle to the anal claspers ; just at the angle is seated a 

 slightly curved horn, rough or shagreened like the general 

 surface of the skin ; there is on each side a very inconspicous 

 lateral skinfold. The general colour of the larva, both of 

 head and body, varies in different specimens from apple- 

 green to glaucous-green ; the former colour is constant in 

 youth, but the latter is not the infallible characteristic of 

 maturity, as I have seen full-led larvas of the brightest green 

 colour; the conical outline of the face is accompanied by a 

 very distinct yellow or white line ; the ocelli are brown : the 

 body is adorned on each side by one longitudinal and seven 

 oblique white lines; the longitudinal white line is lateral and 

 confined to the 2nd, 3rd and 4ih segments ; the oblique 

 white lines are also lateral, and, commencing at the lateral 

 VOL. III. H 



