S4 



PSYCHE. 



"June 1S91. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PREPARATORY STAGES OF CALLOSAMIA 



PROMETHEA DRURY. 



BY WM. BEUTENMULLER, NEW YORK. 



Egg. — Oval, slightly flattened above and 

 "below, sordid white. Height 1.20mm. Width 

 1.50 mm. Laid June 14. Emerged June 24. 

 Larva : First stage. — Head dull black with 

 a sordid white transverse band across the 

 middle. Body greenish yellow with a trans- 

 verse black band on the anterior and posterior 

 portions of each segment, running to the 

 sides. 



Along the dorsum are. two rows of tuber- 

 cles, and a row along the subdorsal and 

 another row along the sides below the spira- 

 cles. All the tubercles are yellow, except 

 those on the first segment and the two dorsal 

 pairs on the second and third segments and 

 those on eleventh and twelfth segments, 

 black. Each of the tubercles are also fur- 

 nished with about five bristle-like hairs, which 

 are black. Length 3 mm. Duration of this 

 stage seven days. 



After first moult. — No change except that 

 the larvae are more conspicuous. In some 

 individuals of the brood the two tubercles 

 on dorsal region on the second and third 

 segments are yellow instead of black as in 

 the previous moult. Length 10 mm. Dura- 

 tion of this stage five days. 



After second moult. — The body is now 

 whitish green, with the tubercles black, ex- 

 cept the two dorsal pair on the second and 

 third segments and the one on the eleventh 

 segment bright yellow, with their bases 

 black; these six tubercles remain present in 

 all the subsequent stages, while all the re- 

 maining tubercles gradually become reduced 

 into mere piliferous spots. Anal plates yel- 

 low margined with black. Head yellow, with 

 a black transverse band and a black spot on 

 each side of the top. All the feet yellow, 

 abdominal ones with a black spot on the 

 outer side of each. The transverse bands 



across the segments are now quite faint, and 

 in some specimens they are broken or ab- 

 sent. Length 20 mm. Duration of this 

 stage four days. 



After third moult. — The body color is 

 the same as in the previous moult. The 

 four tubercles on the second and third seg- 

 ments are now bright orange yellow and 

 the one on top of the eleventh segment 

 lemon yellow; all other tubercles black and 

 much smaller than the ones just mentioned. 

 Thoracic feet and anal legs yellow, abdominal 

 legs same as in the last stage. Head yellow 

 with two black spots on each side. Length 

 24 mm. Duration of this stage three days. 

 After fourth moult. — Body entirely green, 

 with a whitish hue. The transverse bands 

 have now disappeared. The four tubercles 

 on the second and third segments are now 

 quite prominent, coral red, and the one on 

 the eleventh segment lemon yellow. All the 

 other tubercles are reduced to mere pilifer- 

 ous spots. Head and legs yellowish green. 

 Length 30 mm. Duration of this stage five 

 days. 



After fifth or last moult. — Same in all re- 

 spects as the preceding moult, except that the 

 larva becomes stouter and more prominent 

 in appearance. Length 39 mm. The full 

 grown larva measures about 55 mm. Dura- 

 tion of this stage five days. 



Food-plants. — Sassafras, tulip-tree, linden, 

 spicebush, sweet-gum, choke-cherry, plum, 

 pear, ash, Magnolia, Halesia, etc. 



The early stages of this species were made 

 first known by Dr. C. V. Riley, (4th Mo. 

 rep. p. 121) who gives only four moults, 

 while the brood I raised moulted five times. 

 The mature larva was first figured by Abbot 

 and Smith (Ins. Ga., v. 1, p. 91, pi. 46) and 

 again subsequently by various writers. 



