48 



HOW TO EAISE TOBACCO. 



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J^o 



THE TOBACCO WORM. 



(From the "American Agricultukist " for April, 1863.) 



The above engraving represents one of our most 

 T Gracious and destructive insects. It is sbown in its 

 different stages of larva, chrysalis, and imago, or moth. 

 The larva or worm, fig. 1, is a great pest upon potato 

 and tomato vines, and upon tobacco. It is especially 

 injurious to the latter crop, as it perforates the leaves 

 and renders them ragged and worthless. The worm 

 as it comes from the egg is so small as to be unob- 

 served, but having an enormous appetite, it devours 

 rapidly, and soon grows to about twice the size repre- 

 sented in the cut. When not feeding, it lifts up the 

 head and fore-part of the body, and remains apparent- 

 ly lifeless. From its resemblance in this position to 

 the Egyptian Sphinx, Linnceus gave the name Sphinz 

 to the genus. The larva is of a light green color, with 

 whitish oblique stripes, and has a horn upon the rear 

 end of the body. Though it is repulsive in appearance, 

 it is perfectly harmless to touch, and may be picked 

 off with the hands without fear. After it has reached 

 its full size, it leaves the scene of its ravages and goes 

 into the earth, where it throws off its skin and be- 

 comes a brown-colored chrysalis, fig. 2. The curious 

 projection, like a handle, is a sheath which holds the 



tongue of the future moth. The moth or perfect in- 

 sect, is represented in the engraving, fig. 3, of the 

 natural size. It is of a gray color, with orange-colored 

 spots on each side of the body. As tliere are five of 

 these spots on each side, it is called Spldnx qu'inque- 

 maculatus, or Five-spotted Sphinx. The moths may be 

 seen towards night flitting about the flowers, from 

 which they suck the juices by means of their remark- 

 able tongue, which is five or six inches long. When 

 the tongue is not in use, it is closely coiled up and hid- 

 den between the two feelers. From the manner of 

 their flight and feeding they are frequently mistaken 

 for humming birds and are called " humming-bird 

 moths," and " horn-blowers." The moths should 

 always be destroyed if possible ; by so doing we pre- 

 vent the production of several hundreds of most de- 

 structive worms. Naturalists make one or two other 

 species, which closely resemble the Five-spotted Moth, 

 and are only distinguished by characters which would 

 not be noticed except by the entomologist. [The il- 

 lustrations above were in part re-sketched and en- 

 graved from figures in Harris' valuable work on In- 

 sects, referred to in March AaKicuLiURisT, p. Yl.] 



