56 



singly, but protected by a web, tho not always. Finally, when 

 about full grown, they were found without the protecting web; 

 and they ate the leaf entirely, making ragged holes, not leaving 

 the lower epidermis. 



The ground color of the upper surface of a larva 12 mm, 

 long is black, with fine longitudinal, crinkly, much interrupted 

 lines of yellowish; there are three nearly complete yellow lines 

 on dorsal side, the middle one forking on the head; a broad 

 yellowish line just below the level of the spiracles; there is a row 

 of white dots on each side, one dot behind and a little above each 

 abdominal spiracle ; under side paler than upper. 



A larva somewhat larger had the same markings except that 

 the yellowish lines have become greenish. As they become older 

 there is quite a variation in the degree of coloration, often the 

 green predominates, and an occasional specimen is almost 

 entirely black, but all have a black line on the level of the 

 spiracles ; the mid-dorsal pale line is nearly obliterated ; spiracles 

 are brownish, with black borders. Some of the larger cater- 

 pillars were collected to rear to maturity, which determined the 

 species. 



On Dec. 30, 1905, a cluster of eggs was found on Euxolus sp. 

 (one of the Amarantaceae) in a weed patch in Honolulu. These 

 eggs hatched Jan. 1, 1906, and were fed until full grown upon 

 leaves of Euxolus. Four larva were full grown and ready to 

 pupate, in sixteen days; length 25 mm. They entered the 

 ground to pupate. 



The pupa is 12 mm. long; medium brown, with some 

 greenish on wing and leg-cases; smooth, except a punctate 

 band on anterior margin of segments 4, 5, 6, 7 of abdomen; 

 abdominal spiracles black, very slightly raised; cremaster two 

 sharp-pointed spines. 



The pupal period was twelve to seventeen days. 



I have not found this species feeding on any other plant than 

 Ricinus, and Euxolus; but Meyrick gives Plantago as its food 

 plant; and in Western United States it is considered a pest on 

 the sugar beet, tho it is qmte a general feeder, having been 

 reported on table beets, lambsquarters, pigweed, saltbush, 

 Russian thistle (all closely related plants) and when numerous 

 feed also on corn, potato, pea, onion, wild sunflower, leaves of 

 apple, mallow, Nicotina glauca, Cleome, and wild grasses. 



