Dec. 1898.] Dyar: Life-Histories of N. Y. Slug Caterpillars. 243 



erence for large trees. I have found them rarely in Van Courtlandt 

 Park, New York, and in several places on Long Island, most numer- 

 ously at South-haven and Speonk. Mr. Joutel has found them at 

 Glendale, but on small trees, as he tells me. This species is distinctly 

 a local one, and when once found, a number of larvae can be secured. 

 I have encountered a colony in the District of Columbia on some iron 

 wood trees growing on the shores of Rock Creek and overhanging the 

 water. The situation is such that any other of our Eucleids could not 

 live there, as they would fall in the water and be drowned at pupating 

 time. 



The larval stages are passed with unusual rapidity. Mature larva; 

 are first seen early in August, and but few last into September. With 

 the exception of Kroncea minuta, this is our smallest Eucleid larva. 



Criticism of Previous Descriptions. 

 This larva has not been described, yet a specimen was seen by us 

 before writing the synoptic table (Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc. , III, 146), 

 and confused there with Heterogenea flexuosa* Only the last five 

 words of the diagnosis were written actually from a specimen of flexu- 

 osa ; the other words apply to the species, although not indicating the 

 best specific differences. A corrected synoptic table will be given at 

 the end of these articles. 



Description of the Several Stages in Detail. 



£gg. — Very small ; elliptical, flat, shining, slightly milky and iri- 

 descent. Reticulations obscure, linear, elongated and irregularly 

 quadrangular, not peculiar; size .8 x .5 mm., rarely 1.0 x .6 mm. 



Stage I. — Highest in front at first, later higher in the middle and 

 more rounded, truncate before, tail rounded. Spines as in T. pallida, 

 but smaller, distinctly alternating, the Y-shaped spines of joints 5, 7, 

 9 and 11 leaning out sometimes so much so that those of joints 7 and 

 9 lean at 90 and those of joints 5 and 11 at 45 ° with the erect ones 

 on the strong segments. The anterior limb of the Y-spines has a 

 tendency to be shorter, especially on the weak segments, where, as on 

 joint 11, it may be scarcely more than half as long as the other and 

 lack the cleft tip. Tips bifid or trifid, brown, narrowed just before 



* In the long series of bred Jlexuosa-cccsonia from the collection of the late Mr 

 S. L. Elliot, occurs a single specimen of shurtleffii, showing that he, too, had con- 

 fused the larvae. 



