June, 1898.] Dyar : Life-Histories N. Y. Slug Caterpillars. 95 



Affinities, Habits, Etc. 



This larva is very closely allied to T. pallida, but differs in several 

 characters, nearly all of which are a higher specialization. In stage I 

 the seta; are smaller, not so distinctly alternating and the anterior limb 

 of the Y-shaped spines is slightly shortened. After the first molt the 

 setae are nearly obliterated, being much more reduced than in T. pallida. 

 The granules are smoother, more appressed, not subpapillose on the 

 lateral ridge as in the younger stages of T. pallida and the depressed 

 spaces are, if anything, larger. The red mark appears at the same time 

 or sooner than in its ally, but is never so large. It does not exceed the 

 lateral extension of T. pallida of stage V even in the last stage, VII, 

 though the longitudinal extension is the same in both in the case of the 

 most heavily marked H. flexuosa. The amount of variation is perhaps 

 not greater in flexuosa than in its ally, though the breaking up of the 

 red band gives the appearance of greater diversity. 



The moths emerge during the last week in June and lay the eggs 

 singly on the backs of the leaves. The favorite food plant is the chest- 

 nut and the larvae occur on the lower of the main branches of this tree, 

 not on the low shoots nor on any but the old matured leaves. The oak 

 is also a food plant ; I have found the larvae abundantly on Q. coccinea, 

 very rarely on Q. alba. The larvae mature early in September. This 

 species occurs scattered all over New York State, usually rare, but occa- 

 sionally locally common. I have taken it in most of the wooded parks 

 around New York City and at various places in Long Island. The 

 present life-history was completed from a newly hatched larva which I 

 found in Bronx Park after a two days' search, in which I was kindly 

 assisted by Mrs. P. N. Knopf and Miss L. I. Hoff. 



Criticism of Previous Descriptions. 

 Dr. Packard has described this larva without knowing what it was. 

 I have made an unfortunate error in the description of Tortricidia 

 pallida (Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc, IV, 170-1), and included characters 

 of H. flexuosa in stages II, III and VI. The figures on the plate of 

 the young larva (figs. 3 and 4) represent stages IV and VI of H. flexuosa. 

 The text of T. pallida will be specifically corrected in the " additions 

 and corrections ' ' to follow at the end of these articles. 



Description of the Several Stages in Detail. 

 Egg. — Elliptical, flat as usual; i.iX'7 mm., the shell colorless, 

 white. 



Stage I. — Rounded elliptical, tail round ; skin smooth, depressed a 



