﻿OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



which insects sometimes make between plants of the same genus ; but 

 they are of much practical importance, as a knowledge of the peculiar 

 tastes and preferences which insects frequently manifest for different 

 species, or even different varieties of plants, will be of much value in 

 guiding us what to plant. 



THE GOOSEBERRY SPAN-WORM— ^w;?^cAm* rihearia (Fitch.) 



[Orel. Lepidoptera ; Fam. Geometrid^.] 

 ITS NATURAL HISTORY. 



In the month of May, in the latitude of St. Louis, gooseberry 

 bushes, and more seldom currant bushes, are sometimes suddenly 



stripped of their leaves by a yel- 

 low, black-spotted worm which 

 generally remains unnoticed dur- 

 ing the early part of the month, 

 when small and hidden by the 

 /y^<$j foliage. It is the most common 

 '^ ^ and destructive of the gooseberry 

 leaf-eaters in Missouri, and, being 

 a looper or span-worm, is at once 

 .^^^ ., distinguished, by its mode of pro- 

 '^^^ gression, from the other worms to 

 ^^^ be mentioned. When full grown 

 it measures about an inch, and is 

 of a bright yellow color, with lat- 

 eral white lines and numerous 

 black spots and round dots, as 



Gooseberry Span -WOPM :-«, 6, larvre; c, pupa. shoWU in the aCCOmpanyiug fig- 

 ures. The head is white, with two large black eye like spots on the 

 outer sides above, and two smaller ones beneath. The six true legs are 

 black and the four prol egs yellow. It drops readily by a web and 

 attains its growth irom the end of May to the middle of June, when 

 it descends to the ground and either burrows a little below the surface 

 or hides under any rubbish that may be lying there ; but in neither 

 case does it form any cocoon. Shortly after this it changes to a chrys- 



»This insect was originally described Ijy Fitch under the generic name Abraxas, with a question 

 as to the correctness of tlu- generic releronce. It has also been very generally referred to Ellopia, hut 

 Br. Packard in his recent ailmirable MoTwqraph of the Geometrid Mollis, very properly iteliues the 

 genus under the name Eufitcliia, the insect m (piestion beir.g the unly species belonging to it. 



