i 9 4 



ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY 



motionless when disturbed, as shown in the illustration (Fig. 302) 

 of the common yellow-necked apple caterpillar (Datana ministra], 



the specific name of which has 

 given the group the common 

 name of "handmaids." It is 

 common on apple trees in late 

 summer, the colonies of cater- 

 pillars stripping the foliage 

 back from the tips of the twigs, 

 and may be readily recognized 

 by the black head, yellow neck, 

 and black-aiid-yellow striped 

 body. Nearly related species 

 of blackish caterpillars covered 

 with gray hairs often defoliate 

 the hickory. The red-humped 

 apple caterpillar (Schizura con- 

 cinna) is associated with the 

 above species on the apple 

 and has very similar habits. It 

 is of a yellowish-brown color, 



FIG. 302. The yellow-necked apple cater- 

 pillar (Datana ministra). (Larvae natural 

 size and moth slightly enlarged) 



pale along the sides, which 

 are marked with fine black lines ; the head is red, the fourth 

 segment bears a prominent red hump, and along the back there 

 are many short 

 spines. Several of 

 the caterpillars of 

 this family have 

 irregular humps and 

 prominences along 

 the back and are 

 of a green color, so 

 that as they feed 

 on the edge of a 

 leaf they are not 

 easily distinguished 



from the ragged 

 leaf edge. Most of 



FIG. 303. The red-humped apple caterpillar feeding in 

 characteristic position. (Natural size) 



(After Britton) 



