BULLETIN 259 



PUPAE OF SOME MAINE SPECIES OF NOTODON- 



TOIDEA.* 



EDNA MOSHER.f 



INTRODUCTION. 



It is only in recent years that entomologists have realized 

 the value of studying the immature stages of insects, although 

 immature forms are responsible for more damage to crops than 

 adults. Now that the need for such studies is felt, it is surpris- 

 ing how very little we really know about the subject. The 

 pupae have rarely been considered even from the standpoint 

 of the systematist, much less from that of the economic entom- 

 ologist. Nevertheless it is important to be able to recognize an 

 insect pest at any stage of its life-cycle, even if it does no dam- 

 age while in that stage. 



These studies of the pupae of some of the commoner forms 

 found in Maine will, it is hoped, lead to the easy recognition of 

 the species described, and awaken an interest in this stage of the 

 insect's life history. 



The pupae were, for the most part, obtained by collecting 

 the eggs or larvae and rearing them to maturity in order to 

 identify the species, as will be necessary until the larval and 

 pupal stages are more carefully studied. This work was done 

 during the summer of 1915, but the season was not a favorable 

 one for rearing Lepidoptera, being very cold and wet. Many 

 of the specimens died of fungous or bacterial diseases, the Geo- 

 metridae being especially hard to rear successfully. In some 



♦Papers from the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station ; Ento- 

 mology No. 90 and contribution from the Entomological Laboratories 

 of the University of Illinois, No. 54. 



tMember of the Station Summer Staff. 



The synonymy used is, for the most part, that of Dyar's 

 check list. 



