REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 269 



fully grown, finding this remnant of a leaf, devour it, exposing tlie jaipa, 

 vvliich either liills to the ground or hangs suspended by some of the 

 silken fiber which happens to ha attached to the uneaten frame-work of 

 the leaf. A detailed description of the larvae is appended. This will 

 serve to distinguish the cotton-worm from other larvae vviiich are some- 

 times mistaken for it. 



Alexia arguxacea, Hiibuer. 



Full-grown larva. 



Leiij>tli, 1§ inclua (41""")- Color, light-green, striped with vrhita and blaclc, and 

 spo-.ted with black and yellow; in many individuals, especiiilly th(we of tlio earlier 

 broods, the black stripes are wanting. Head, ocbre-j'ellow, with thirty black spots, 

 from each of which arises a short, stiff, black hair (I3«). Body, light-green, with 

 dorsal line, two subdorsal lines, and lateral Hue white, and with uuniorous intensely 

 black piliferous spots. The more conspicuous of these spots are arranged as follows: 

 Eight forming two transverse rows of four each on the dorsal part of the tiryt body 

 segment (prothorax); asiiiii)le transverse row of four on each of the two following 

 segments (in these two rows the inner spots are much smaller than the outer ones); 

 on each of the eight following segments (first to eighth abdominal)^ four spots, form- 

 ing the angles of a sfjuare; a row of spots on the lower subdorsal line, one spot on 

 each segment; below these, three spots, forming a triangle. In the green varieties, 

 the piliferous spots are surrounded with white, and are thus rendered more conspicu- 

 ous ; spiracles black. Usually a row of indistinct yellow spots upon and above the 

 upper subdorsal line. All legs pale-green; claws of thoracic legs black; first pair of 

 al)dominal legs rudimentary; second pair half as large as third ])air. The distributiim 

 of black varies greatly in different specimens. In s^me there are no black stripes, this 

 color being almost entirely absent, except in the piliferous spots described above; in 

 other specimens all that j)art of the body above the lateral line, excepting the dorsal 

 and subdorsal Mnes, is black. The following grades between these two extremes may 

 be found : 



a. Dorsal line bordered on each side with black: varies in width in different speci- 

 mens, from those in which it is a mere line to tb.ose in which the entire space between 

 the dorsal line and the upper subflorsal line is black. 



b. Similar to variety a, except that the space between the subdorsal linos is also 

 black. 



c. Similar to variety i, except that the space between the lateral line and the lower 

 subdorsal line is more or less black. Antennae three jointed, basal joint large, fleshy; 

 second joint about one-tbird the length of hrst joint, and often not v-isible, being with- 

 drawn into first joint; third joint erjiial in length to the tirst and of a brown color. 

 This joint bears at its outer extremity three conical tubercles, one of which is large, 

 appearing like a subjoiut, and bearing a small tubercle; mandibles strong, pale, with 

 their edges and teeth black; teeth, four, rather dull. 



The pupa. — After the larva has formed its cocoon within a folded 

 leaf, its body shortens and increases in diameter, assuming a somewhat 

 fusiform shape. Those parts that were light green become bluish or copper 

 color. After one or two days have elapsed the larva sheds its skin and 

 becomes a jmpa. 



This is at first of a delicate green color, but in a few hours it changes to 

 a chestnut-brown, which sometimes becomes so dark as to be almost 

 black. This change in color is attended by a toughening and hardening 

 of the body walls. Frequently the head, thorax, and wing-sheaths be- 

 come darker than the r/emaining portions of the body. The posterior 

 third of the fourth, fifth, and sixth abdominal segments is much lighter 

 in color than the remaining part of the segments. AVheu tlie pupa is 

 much contracted, the lighter portion of each oi" these segments is covered 

 by the following segment: The length of the pupa varies fiom five-eighths 

 to thirteen -sixteenths inches (l(>'"''-20'"'"). Its form is shown on Plate 

 VII, Fig. 10. The wkig-sheaths nearly reach the fifth abdominal seg- 

 ment.. The tip of the abdomen is furnished with four hooks. A short 

 distance in front there are four other hooks, each one rising from a small 

 pit. Plate IX, fig. 2, represents two views of this part of the pupa, a the 

 dorsal view, and /> the ventral view. 



