﻿TENT 
  CATERFIT.T.AB 
  — 
  SFODGRASS. 
  359 
  

  

  liquid 
  that 
  oozes 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  and 
  acts 
  as 
  a 
  solvent 
  on 
  the 
  glue 
  

   that 
  holds 
  the 
  cocoon 
  threads 
  together. 
  The 
  strands 
  thus 
  moistened 
  

   are 
  soon 
  loosened 
  from 
  one 
  another 
  sufficiently 
  to 
  allow 
  the 
  moth 
  to 
  

   poke 
  its 
  head 
  through 
  the 
  cocoon 
  wall 
  and 
  force 
  a 
  hole 
  large 
  enough 
  

   to 
  permit 
  of 
  its 
  escape. 
  The 
  liquid 
  from 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  moth 
  turns 
  

   the 
  silk 
  brown, 
  and 
  the 
  lips 
  of 
  the 
  emergence 
  hole 
  are 
  always 
  

   stained 
  the 
  same 
  color 
  — 
  evidence 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  this 
  liquid 
  that 
  softens 
  

   the 
  silk. 
  But 
  a 
  former 
  writer, 
  L. 
  Trouvelot, 
  actually 
  watched 
  a 
  

   Polyphemus 
  moth 
  in 
  its 
  cocoon 
  press 
  the 
  liquid 
  from 
  its 
  mouth 
  

   against 
  the 
  cocoon 
  wall 
  and 
  then 
  wait 
  a 
  half 
  hour 
  for 
  its 
  dissolving 
  

   properties 
  to 
  act. 
  Trouvelot 
  says 
  that 
  the 
  moth 
  then 
  emerges 
  by 
  

   separating 
  the 
  strands 
  of 
  silk 
  without 
  breaking 
  a 
  single 
  thread. 
  But 
  

   the 
  frayed 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  hole 
  left 
  in 
  the 
  cocoon 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  caterpillar 
  

   by 
  the 
  moth 
  show 
  many 
  loose 
  ends 
  of 
  broken 
  threads. 
  

  

  B 
  

  

  I 
  

  

  Fig. 
  18. 
  — 
  The 
  tent 
  caterpillar 
  moths. 
  A, 
  male 
  in 
  natural 
  position 
  at 
  rest 
  ; 
  B, 
  female 
  

  

  (11 
  natural 
  size). 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  conspicuous 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  moth 
  are 
  its 
  furry 
  covering 
  

   of 
  hairlike 
  scales 
  and 
  its 
  wings. 
  The 
  latter 
  are 
  short 
  at 
  first 
  (fig. 
  

   17, 
  E), 
  but 
  they 
  quickly 
  expand 
  to 
  normal 
  length 
  and 
  are 
  then 
  

   folded 
  over 
  the 
  back 
  (fig. 
  18, 
  A). 
  The 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  moths 
  are 
  vari- 
  

   ous 
  shades 
  of 
  reddish 
  brown 
  with 
  the 
  wings 
  crossed 
  by 
  two 
  oblique 
  

   pale 
  bands. 
  The 
  female 
  (B) 
  is 
  somewhat 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  male, 
  her 
  

   body 
  being 
  a 
  little 
  over 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  the 
  

   expanded 
  wings 
  If 
  inches 
  across. 
  

  

  The 
  tent 
  caterpillars 
  performed 
  so 
  thoroughly 
  their 
  duty 
  of 
  eat- 
  

   ing 
  that 
  the 
  moths 
  have 
  no 
  need 
  of 
  more 
  food. 
  Consequently 
  they 
  

   are 
  not 
  encumbered 
  with 
  implements 
  of 
  feeding. 
  The 
  mandibles, 
  

   which 
  were 
  so 
  large 
  in 
  the 
  caterpillar 
  (fig. 
  11, 
  Md), 
  and 
  became 
  

   rudimentary 
  in 
  the 
  propupa 
  (fig. 
  17, 
  H), 
  are 
  now 
  gone 
  entirely 
  (fig. 
  

   19). 
  The 
  maxillse 
  (Mx), 
  which 
  were 
  fairly 
  long 
  lobes 
  in 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   pupa, 
  have 
  shrunken 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  to 
  insignificant 
  though 
  movable 
  

   knobs 
  at 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  (Mth). 
  The 
  under 
  lip 
  or 
  labium 
  

  

  