II^^SECTS IXJURIOrS TO THE HOP-PLAXT. 279 



golden-spotted chrysalids are plentiful the crop Avill be 

 good and the price high, while if the silver-spotted ones 

 are plentiful and the golden-spotted ones are scarce the 

 price will be low.'' (Howard, I.e.) 



The Semicolon-butterfly (Polygonia interrogatiooiis 



Godart). 



The common names of these two butterflies indicate the 

 most striking mark of distinction between them. P. in- 

 terrogdtionis bears a silver mark like a semicolon or 

 '" interrogation'' point upon the under side of the hind 

 wings (Fig. 161), while P. comma has the same mark 

 without the dot, which thus resembles a comma (Fig. 162). 



The Semicolon-butterfly is common throughout the 

 United States east of the Rockies, and especially in \\o])- 

 growing regions. It hibernates over winter and is among the 

 first butterflies to be seen in early spring, when it is often 

 attracted to the flowing sap of newly cut trees. The eggs 

 are laid late in May or early in June, usually upon the 

 under surface of the leaves, of elm, blackberrj^, or nettle, 

 either singly or in j^tendant columns of from two to eight. 

 They hatch in from four to eleven days and the larvge grow 

 quite rajjidly. 



When full-grown the larva is an inch and a quarter 

 long. The head is reddish black, somewhat bilobed, each 

 lobe being tipped with a tubercle bearing five single, 

 black-pointed spines, and covered with many small white 

 and several blackish tubercles. The body is black, thickly 

 covered with streaks and dots of yellowish white; the 

 second segment is without sj^ines, but with a row of yel- 

 lowish tubercles in their place; the third segment has four 

 branching spines, all black, with a spot of dark yellow at 



