Sept. 189S.1 Seifert: Life-History of Feralia jocosa. 183 



kept carefully with hemlock sprigs in large glass vessels, they remained 

 nearly inactive and finally the females laid unfertilized eggs. It may 

 be mentioned here that these moths can be kept alive for a compara- 

 tively long time when fed on slices of fresh apple. 



The entire existence of this insect is bound and admirably adapted 

 to the conifer on which it feeds. In April and May the mature hem- 

 locks develop their flowers. The staminate aments are produced pro- 

 fusely on the younger, higher branches. The moth is only to be found 

 on the larger trees. The impregnated female runs restlessly up and 

 down the branchlets until it finds a twig with the budding staminate 

 aments. These latter appear in numerous clusters and here on the ad- 

 joining leaves the moth deposits its rather large, pale honey yellow eggs. 

 One or a few are glued to a leaf, mostly on the under side. The whole 

 number of eggs rarely reaches 150. 



The eggs hatch after 14 to 16 days. The pale greenish yellow larvae 

 at once attack the undeveloped anther sacks and feed on these only at 

 this stage. They bury their heads and part of their bodies in the buds, 

 covering themselves over with pollen grains. As soon as the anthers 

 reach maturity; develop their tender filaments and turn light brown the 

 young caterpillars leave them entirely and take to the new leaves which 

 have just opened. In the successive stages they gradually abandon the 

 growing leafy shoots, touching them only occasionally and, after the 

 last molt, feed exclusively on the deep green perennial leaves. They 

 often denude small twigs of their leaves and leave only the light green 

 terminal shoots on the branches. 



By the changes of color and design during growth the larvae follow 

 the successively acquired food habits. Very young larvse are pale yel- 

 lowish green, the color of the budding staminate aments; after this 

 they change to bright, light green ; then they obtain pale white longitu- 

 dinal bands ; later on they change to bright pea green with intense 

 white stripes from the head to anal segment and a cherry red supra- 

 stigmalal line bordering the white stigmatal stripe ; at last the bands 

 are broken into oval spots partly tinted and edged with yellow and red. 

 Now the glossy, deep pea green, checkered caterpillar is admirably 

 adapted to the deep green lacquered perennial leaves of the hemlock, 

 variegated with flowers and buds. About six weeks after leaving the 

 egg shell, the larval period is completed and the trim creature descends 

 the tree, probably at night, digging into the ground close to the trunk 

 and near the surface to form an almost oval, soft, but tenacious cocoon 

 of earth and silk. In this it transforms to a brown pupa in a few days. 



