82 



PSYCHE. 



[May 1S91. 



Cerura cinereoides Dyar. (West- 

 ern form.) 



Egg. Slightly less than hemispherical, 

 the base flat. Color, dull brownish black, 

 smooth. Diameter about 1 mm. Duration 

 of this stage, eight days. 



Larva: First stage. Head dark red- 

 brown. On joint 2 are two brown processes, 

 minutely spined. Joint 13 has two "tails" 

 3 mm. long, brown, twice broadly annulated 

 with pale yellow and minutely spined. The 

 body is brown with three dorsal pale yellow 

 patches, on joints 2 to 6, 8 to 10 and 12 re- 

 spectively, the posterior one faint. Venter 

 and legs pale whitish. Length of larva, ex- 

 clusive of the tails, 4 mm. It spins a slight 

 web on the surface of the leaf to which it 

 clings. 



Second stage. Head red-brown with two 

 blackish shades in front. Processes on joint 

 2, which is somewhat swollen, thick and 

 spined. Tails twice broadly annulated with 

 pale yellow. The body is red-brown with a 

 transverse row of minute spined points on 

 each segment. The dorsal patches are as in 

 the previous stage, but the one on joint 12 

 extends also on joint 11. The venter and 

 legs are pale yellow. The extensile threads 

 in the "tails" are pale whitish at base, the 

 rest dark brown, once broadly annulated 

 with white. They are extended in the same 

 manner as the "horns" of a larva of Papilio, 

 the base appearing first, followed by the re- 

 mainder of the part, reversing itself as it is 

 extruded. These the insect lashes over its 

 back if disturbed. Length 6 mm., tails, 4 mm. 

 Third stage. Head brown, densely 

 marked with small yellow spots, but leaving 

 two wavy lines of the ground color in front, 

 paler at the sides posteriorly. Antennae 

 whitish. Joint 2 is somewhat swollen and 

 bears two thick processes about 1 mm. long 

 covered with pointed tubercles. Each seg- 

 ment has a row of similar tubercles each 

 bearing a short fine hair. The dorsal ones on 

 joints 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 are rather larger 



than the others. The tails are spinose, green 

 but brown above at the base and twice annu- 

 lated with brown towards the ends. Length 

 4.5 mm. The body is yellowish green, the 

 red-brown of the dorsum being reduced to a 

 subdorsal brown line on each side which join 

 on the last segment and are connected over 

 the back on joints 2 and 3 by brown mottlings 

 between the processes, by a large patch on 

 joints 6, 7 and 8 and another on joint 11. The 

 large spot is paler centrally. Later the sub- 

 dorsal line disappears and the brown dorsal 

 patches are connected by an obscure dorsal 

 line. Length of body, 8 to 12 mm. 



Fourth stage. The head is partly retracted 

 under the skin of joint 2, purple-brown be- 

 fore, yellowish green at the sides behind the 

 eyes, the upper two thirds densely covered 

 with small pale yellow spots, but leaving two 

 lines of the ground color in front. A few 

 minute hairs over the surface. Antennae 

 white. The body is slightly elevated dorsally 

 at joint 3. Color green, with a yellowish 

 tinge at the bordering of the dorsal patches, 

 which are four in number and purple-brown. 

 The first is on joints 2 and 3, triangular, 

 covering the upper part of the spined pro- 

 cesses of joint 2, partly divided by a green 

 dorsal line anteriorly; the second is on 

 joints 4 slightly and 5 to 9, elliptical, reach- 

 ing below the spiracles, pointed anteriorly, 

 and connected posteriorly with the third 

 patch on joints 10 and 11, which widens pos- 

 teriorly and narrows abruptly to the fourth 

 patch on joints 12 and 13 which is partly re- 

 placed by the ground color. The two last 

 extend over the subdorsal spaces. All are 

 partly mottled with pale yellow and contain 

 conical tubercles, each surmounted by a short 

 hair. The sides of the body are sprinkled 

 with brown and whitish specks and have a 

 few short fine white hairs. Venter white. 

 Tails purple brown at the basal half above 

 and twice annulated with brown at the ex- 

 tremities. They are still spinose and the. ex- 

 tensile threads are black with a white ring. 



Fifth stage. Head as before, but at ma- 



