ENTOMOLOGY 293 



Spiny Elm Caterpillar or Mourning Cloak Butterfly. The 

 adult of this species is one of the butterflies quite commonly seen 

 flying about. It is strikingly marked by the general dark-brown 

 color of the wings being bordered by a margin of broken yellow, 

 the whole general appearance being that of black bordered with 

 white. 



The eggs are deposited in rings around the twigs of the food 

 plant, which for Ohio is usually willow, though elms are sometimes 

 attacked. The full grown larva is black with a row of red spots 

 down the back. It bears numerous long spines which in turn bear 

 shorter branches. It measures about two inches in length. The 

 pupal stage is passed as an unprotected chrysalid attached to some 

 portion of the food plant. The winter is passed in the adult stage 

 in some sheltered nook. Control methods consist in spraying with 

 poison, or in collecting the larvae and destroying them as they feed 

 in clusters. 



Black Walnut Caterpillar. The general body color of the 

 larva of this insect varies from dark brown to black, and it is clothed 

 in long, white hairs. When disturbed it suddenly raises both ends 

 of the body to a vertical position, holding only with the body legs. 

 This peculiarity, in combination with its general color, renders the 

 insect comparatively easy to distinguish. The full grown larva is 

 about 2 inches in length. It has been observed by the writer feed- 

 ing on black walnut only, though it is reported from other states as 

 feeding upon butternut, hickory and others. 



The larvao feed in clusters on the leaves and at certain intervals 

 travel to the trunk or larger branches of the tree for the purpose of 

 molting, leaving a silken path as they go. They settle in a large 

 mass to cast their skins and after the completion of the operation 

 pass back along their well marked trail to their feeding grounds. 

 A considerable quantity of the cast skins remains attached to the 

 tree at the point where the cluster of larvee rested. They again 

 travel en masse when they pass to the ground to pupate. 



The insects may be destroyed in great quantity while they are 

 settled upon the trunk of the tree during their molting period, or 

 the crop of insects for the following season may be considerably les- 

 sened by thoroughly working the ground beneath the tree during 

 the winter months to destroy the hibernating pupa3. 



The Catalpa Sphinx. The insect is most easily detected by its 

 work upon the leaves during the larval stage. The tiny worms may 

 be observed feeding in rows or clusters upon the epidermis of the 

 leaf. Later the whole leaf is eaten and in case of bad attacks the 

 entire tree is defoliated. The larva is first of a pale yellowish-green 

 color and bears a black horn or spine at the rear of the body. When 

 full grown it resembles the large green tomato or tobacco worm, 

 with the exception that the color, instead of being solid green, is 

 green with broken black bands extending lengthwise of the body. 

 The worms may be observed at least twice each season. Possibly 

 there are more than two broods. 



