AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 121 



THE CECROPIA EMPEROR MOTH. 



Platysamia Cecropia, {Linn.) 



We received a cocoon of the above insect from Mr. R. C. 

 Higgins, attached to a Juniper twig. The cocoon was put away 

 and on June 10th the moth came forth, and essentially the fol- 

 lowing letter was sent to Mr. Higgins, which may be of interest 

 to others : 



"Dear Sir : — The cocoon you sent some weeks ago produced 

 to-day a beautiful moth (five and a half inches spread of wing) 

 known as the Cecropia Emperor Moth. This insect belongs to 

 the Bombyciclce which embraces the Chinese silk worm Bomby 

 mori. It is the largest species of moth found in the United 

 States. It usually feeds upon the apple, plum and cherry and a 

 variety of other shrubs and trees. Taking it upon a Juniper is 

 novel to me, and I find no record of it feediDg upon coniferous 

 plants. The caterpillar probably wandered to the Juniper tree to 

 spin its cocoon. This insect is not abundant in nature and 

 though classed as one of the pests of the orchard does but little 

 damage. It is kept in check by ichneumons, other insect par- 

 asites and birds. 



The moth, caterpillar and cocoon of this insect all being so 

 large and conspicuous they attract attention and specimens are 

 frequently sent. The moths may be known by their large size, 

 the rich brown color of the wings, each bearing near the middle a 

 kidney shaped white spot usually shaded with red and edged 

 with black. The caterpillars are three or four inches long and 

 nearly as thick as a man's thumb ; pale green with carrot red 

 warts on the third and fourth segments of the body, yellow 

 warts upon the back of the other segments, excepting the second 

 and last, on which they are blue, as well as the smaller warts 

 along the sides. 



The cocoons are about three inches long, pod shaped, rusty 

 gray or brown, and firmly attached by one side to a limb. They 

 are composed of two layers of silk, an outer papery and loose 

 fibrous one and an inner densely woven oval one containing the 

 chrysalis. The moths come from the cocoons in June. The eggs 

 are soon laid and in a week or ten daj T s the caterpillars appear. 

 They are voracious feeders. When full grown in the fall they 

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