IP SY CREB. 
ON THE NUMBER OF MOLTS 
OF BUTTERFLIES, 
WITH SOME 
HISTORY OF THE MOTH CALLOSAMIA PROMETHEA. 
BY WILLIAM H: EDWARDS, COALBURGH, W. VA. 
WuEn I first began to study the history 
of the lepidoptera, it was difficult to learn 
from any quarter how many molts lepi- 
dopterous larvae underwent. No one to 
whom I could apply could tell with any 
assurance of certainty what was the num- 
ber of molts among the butterflies, and 
authors either disagreed or were silent 
on the subject. Burmeister (Lond. ed., 
1836, page 431) says: ‘* The caterpillars 
of the butterflies molt, according to Kirby 
and Spence, frequently; but thrice, ac- 
cording to Cuvier. The caterpillars of 
the noctuae, on the contrary, molt four 
times,”’ ete. 
Boisduval (Spec. Gen., v. 1, p. 46) 
says: ‘* These molts are more or less 
numerous according to the family; the 
rhopalocera passing ordinarily three and 
four; the greater part of the heterocera 
four, except some clothed species, which 
pass from seven to eight.” 
Kirby and Spence (Introd. to Ent., 
Lond. ed., 1856, p. 36) speak of ‘‘ but- 
terfly caterpillars throwing off three or 
more successive skins.” 
Westwood (Brit. Butt.,v.1,p.6) says: 
‘ They cast their skins several times.” 
Harris (Ins. injur. veg., ed. 1862, p. 
259) says: ‘* Caterpillars usually change 
their skins about four times,” referring to 
caterpillars generally. 
So it will appear that, twenty years 
‘ago, no definite information was to be 
had on the subject. It was the custom 
when larvae were described, if any men- 
tion of stages earlier than the last, or 
mature, was made, to say, ‘** young lar- 
va,” ‘‘half grown,” etc., with no ref- 
erence to the number of molts. 
During these years, and indeed since 
1870, I have bred from the egg many 
species of butterflies, as Papiios 6, viz., 
ajax, philenor, asterias, troilus, turnus,. 
cresphontes ; Prrris 3, protodice, oleracea, 
rapae; Cortas 2, eurytheme, philodice ; 
Terris 1, nicippe; Danats 1, archippus ; 
Areynnis 7, diana, idalia, cybele, aphro- 
dite, egleis, myrina, bellona; Evuprorr- 
TA 1, claudia; Me.irara 1, phaeton; 
Puyciopves 3, harristi, nycteis, tharos; 
Grapta 3, interrogationis, comma, prog- 
ne; VANESSA 1, antiopa; PyYRamets 2, 
atalanta, huntera; Limenitis 2, arthe- 
mis, disippus ; APATURA 2, celtis, clyton ; 
Neonympua 4, eurytris, sosybius, gemma, 
canthus; Desis 1, portlandia; Satyrus 
1, alope; LipytrnHea 1, dachmanni; 
