173 



The rod-brown larva (Fig. 165), 



SPANWORMS. 



Geometridce. 



It is odd that not a single spanworm is listed by name among corn- 

 feeding larva?. J. B. Smith,* however, mentions a strongly marked 

 "spanworm, the larva of a Geometrid," eating seed-corn and young 

 corn plants. The correspondent sending it said that he felt certain 

 that he had seen it in previous years in the stalks of dahlia and 

 pigweed. 



THE SADDLIi:-BACK CATERPILLAR. 



Sibine stimulea Clem. 



(Empretia stimulea.) 



The saddle-back caterpillar is widely distributed throughout the 

 United States but is not common, 

 about an inch long, is easily recog- 

 nized by its footless, sluglike char- 

 acter, and by the peculiar markings 

 upon its back, which suggest a green 

 saddle-cloth with a brown saddle in 

 the center. 



It has been frequently found 

 feeding on the leaves of corn, and 

 also eats the leaves of a few C'om- 

 poHilm and of a great variety of trees 

 and shrubs. 



The eggs are found in masses on 6, side view. Natural size. (John H. Smith.) 



the upper side of the leaf. The 



larva is a broad flattened caterpillar, and ases its entire fleshy under- 

 surface for crawling. At either end of the body are two long stout 

 horns armed with poisonous spines, and beside these is a row of spiny 

 tubfrclfs. The ends and sides of the body are brown, and a square green 

 jjalch, eriged with white, bearing an oval velvety-brown spot in the 



center, nearly covers the back. The larva? 

 feed ill colonies until after the last molt, 

 when they scatter over the surface. 

 They lie, while feeding, upon the upper 

 surface, and work from the tip to the 

 base of the leaf. The cocoon is of tough, 

 Fio. 166. The Sad.iie-back Cater- browM, parchmentUke material, and is 



piW'diT.SibiTie stimulea, OiiUiM. Natural u a i "i a h^ ^ . ^ „™„;„r,4- +U^ 



Bize. (Saunders.) short, oval, aiid flattened agamst the 



Fig. 165. The 

 Sibine stimulea: 



Baddle-back Caterpillar, 

 a, as seen from above; 



♦Insect Life, Vol. VI., p. 1S8. 



