34 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 95 



The sides of the body below the sulphur-yellow lateral line are 

 apple green, somewhat lighter than the dorsal surface except in an 

 indefinite band just below the lateral line and of about the same width. 

 They bear numerous evenly distributed small sulphur-yellow dots. 



The under surface, including the prolegs, is apple green, but paler, 

 clearer, and more translucent than the upper surface, and without 

 any yellow dots. The posterior end of the body and a narrow and 

 ill-defined line just above the prolegs are pale, like the under side. 



The thoracic legs, which at this stage are all alike, are straw yellow, 

 becoming faintly brownish at the tip. 



DURATION OF THE EARLY STAGES 



We regret that it was not possible to determine the length of time 

 spent by the larvae in each stage or the length of time spent in the 

 egg, but the food plant is not one that lends itself to transplantation 

 to or cultivation in a city house or garden. 



The elapsed time between the appearance of the first brood (May 30, 

 or perhaps a few days earlier) and the first appearance of the second 

 brood (July 20) is 50 days, or slightly over 7 weeks. Two weeks are 

 spent in the pupa, so that the period from the laying of the eggs to the 

 formation of the pupa is 5 weeks, or a few days more. 



MOLTING 



The molting from the fourth to the last stage may be described as 

 follows. Caterpillars preparing to molt are easily distinguishable by 

 their swollen first thoracic segment. This becomes more and more 

 distended until the skin tears apart just back of the thoracic shield. 

 The lobes of the new head emerge from the rapidly widening slit, and 

 in a few minutes the old head capsule with the thoracic shield attached 

 drops ofif. 



The new head is at first very pale dull greenish yellow against which 

 the large chrome yellow spots, much darker, stand out prominently. 

 The head very soon begins to darken, and within two hours has become 

 a rather deep reddish flesh color. 



xA.fter a resting period of considerable duration the caterpillar crawls 

 out of the old skin, which is left extended at full length on the floor 

 of the shelter. 



The other molts do not seem to difl:er from this, except that in the 

 molt from the first to the second stage the head capsule breaks away 

 from the skin of the body along its posterior border, leaving the 

 thoracic shield attached to the body skin. 



