Jan., '05] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. tg 



The Larva of Hepialus sequoiolus Behrens. 

 By Francis X. Williams, San Francisco, Cal. 

 The larva of this interesting moth has, so far as I know, 

 never been found or described, so I give herewith the result 

 of my observations upon the species. 



Mature larva — Head slightly bilobed, rounded, partly retracted under 

 segment i, shining reddish-brown black towards mouth-parts; antennae 

 normal, spinneret slender. Ocelli 6 in two parallel rows. Width of head 

 4 mm. A few hairs arising from head. Body cylindrical, much wrinkled, 

 slender ; segments 2 and 3 somewhat swollen, 12 and 13 tapering. Larger 

 abdominal segments subdivided into four distinct wrinkles, other seg- 

 ments subdivided less distinctly. Thoracic segments, first wrmkle of 

 first abdominal and last half of segmtnt 12, segment 13 and prolegs of a 

 dirty white color, rest of body wood-brown. Body adorned with plates 

 and tubercles, all bearing brownish hairs, and regularly arranged. The 

 substigmatal tubercles are smaller than the superstigmatal. Thoracic 

 legs yellowish, darker towards tips, and bearing a few hairs. A small 

 hair caudad of each leg ; prolegs normal. A large amber-colored dorsal 

 plate on each thoracic segment, that of 2 and 3 smaller and darker on 

 edges. Segment i. — Dorsal plate roughly trapezoidal, extending laterad 

 almost to stigma, stigma black, oval, larger than following. Above stigma 

 on plate a large black piliferous spot. Directly between spot and stigma 

 on plate, a small hair. On anterior portion of plate extending laterad a 

 transverse row of five superstigmatal hairs, the two lowest close together. 

 One substigmatal tubercle bearing two hairs. Segment 2. — Dorsal plate 

 on wrinkle 2, oblong, pointed, bearing two hairs ; behind dorsal plate two 

 large bilobed subdorsal plates each bearing four hairs. Extending laterad, 

 two rows of tubercles of two tubercles each ; one, large and conical on 

 fold, one on fold 2 and other two on fold 3. Segment 3. — Dorsal and 

 subdorsal plates smaller than in segment 2, and two large tubercles be- 

 tween subdorsal plates ; lateral arrangement same as in segment 2. Ab- 

 dominal segments. — On each side of segments, except 13, four super- 

 stigmatal tubercles in two transverse rows on fold 2 and 3 respectively. 

 On segments 6-9, two oblique rows of substigmatal tubercles of two and 

 four tubercles each, the first row beginning almost on the stigmatal line, 

 found also on segments 4, 5, 10 and 11 ; the second row encircling the 

 outer base of prolegs. Between prolegs two hairs. One larger dorso- 

 lateral two-haired tubercle on segments 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12. Between 

 tubercles, a transverse row of small ventral tubercles four on segments 

 4 and 5, two on 10, 11 and 12. On segments 5 and 10 an additional row 

 of two very small flat tubercles. On segment 12 three lateral tubercles, a 

 continuation of second superstigmatal row. Segment 13 : anal plate 

 roughly triangular bearing two pairs of subdorsal hairs and two anterior 

 ones ; a few ventral hairs, some on prolegs. Length of body 44 mm. 



