4GI 



XIX. The Ufc-historii of Geometra smaragdaria. 

 By Geokge Elisha. 



[Read October Gth, 18S6.] 



The eggs of Geometra smarae/daria are laid in July, on 

 the stems and leaves of Artemisia maritima, generally 

 near the top of the shoots. When first laid they are of 

 a light yellowish colour, changing in about a fortnight 

 to dark greyish, soon after ^Yhich the young larvae emerge, 

 and immediately cover themselves with minute portions 

 of their food-plant, which they attach to their bodies, with 

 some glutinous secretion, so firmly that it is very difficult 

 to remove them. It seems a matter of great importance 

 to these larva3 that they should so cover themselves ; for 

 a few eggs laid by a female which I had temporarily 

 placed in a chip-box, being firmly attached to the side 

 of the box, w^ere left there until they hatched, when the 

 young larva], having no Artemisia to operate upon, 

 appropriated the loose splinters and other small particles 

 that were inside the box, and attached them to their 

 ])odies, giving themselves a most singular appearance 

 when viewed under a lens, not unlike that of miniature 

 porcupines. On putting them into a glass jar with 

 some Artemisia they very soon changed their costume, 

 and, on looking at them a few hours afterwards, I found 

 them covered with fragments of their food-plant, as in 

 their natural state. 



The larva} during the whole of their existence keep 

 the body in an arched jDosition, except when feeding 

 when they stretch themselves out a little ; but on the 

 slightest alarm they again assume the curved position, 

 with the anal claspers fixed to the plant, and the prolegs 

 drawn up close to their bodies. They feed rather slowly, 

 and for about three weeks after emerging from the egg 

 appear like little balls of white wool, from being covered 

 with the mealy portions of the Artemisia. As the larva 

 increases in size it increases the length of the morsels 



TEANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1886. — PART IV. (DEC.) 



