86 B. C. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



NOTES ON THE EARLY STAGES OF CALOCAMPA 

 CINERITIA, GROTE. 



By G. O. Day. F.E.S.. Duncan, B. C. 



A female moth was found tJvipositing on the twig of a sallow tree, 

 soon after dusk on 11th March, 1''14. A few catkins were out on the 

 top of the tree, but the eggs were not laid on a blossom twig. The moth 

 seemed to have started at end of twig with head turned inwards. She 

 laid the eggs (75) in regular batches. I watched the operation for some 

 time, and the following is the method of her procedure : After laying 

 an egg against the one before, the moth moved a step forward and care- 

 fully felt about with her ovipositor for a position for the next egg. The 

 eggs were deposited fairly regularly in rows of twos or threes. 



Size of egg, 10/12 uiul (i.e., \2 eggs to 10 mm.). In siiape rather 

 flattened, broadest at base. Usual sculpturing with lines meeting iii 

 micropyle — micropyle not depressed, color a faint greenish white at 

 first, changing later to a light brown with pinkish tinge. The moth 

 ceased to lay when boxed, but after about a week she began again and 

 deposited a good number of eggs, mostly in sheets, that is, in flat masses 

 with eggs laid regularly and side by side, but not adhering at their bases 

 to the box. There were also a number of loose eggs which had evidently 

 fallen away from the sheets. The sheets consisted of rows of threes and 

 fours arranged similarly to the manner in which the eggs were laid on 

 twigs. 



Hatched out 5th April, 1914. Young larva rather acti\'e, 4 mm. in 

 length ; it rests on the two pairs of legs next the anal claspers, which are 

 slightly raised, as is also the head and fore part of the body. Head yel- 

 lowish, slightly wider than body. A yellow tinge on first segment 

 merging posterially into reddish purple which becomes darker at tail 

 end. As soon as the larva has eaten, the purple tinge goes and gives 

 place to a uniform green, the same color as the sallow buds on which it 

 feeds. Each segment has black dots on it, grouped in fours and twos, 

 across, rather indistinct on the fore segments, more plain in the hinder. 

 A short spiky hair is emitted from each of the dots, except those near the 

 tail. After the first few days the color of the head becomes a light trans- 

 parent brown. Expanse of larva 8 mm. at end of first stage. 



On the 18th April, when the larvae were 9 mm. long, the black dots 

 before noticed had all disappeared, the body fairly cylindrical, tapering 

 slightly to each end. Color, bright green with a central dorsal white 

 line, very distinct; and a similar white spiracular line, running the entire 

 length of the body, from the head to the anal pair of legs. Midway 

 between the dorsal and the spiracular lines there is a finer white line rm 



