﻿358 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  NOTES 
  ON 
  VARIOUS 
  INSECTS 
  

  

  Pyralis 
  costalis 
  Fabr. 
  

  

  Clover-hay 
  caterpillar 
  

  

  Numerous 
  examples 
  of 
  the 
  larvae 
  of 
  this 
  insect, 
  which 
  were 
  noticed 
  in 
  

   detail 
  in 
  my 
  nth 
  report, 
  p. 
  145-51, 
  were 
  brought 
  to 
  my 
  office 
  by 
  Mr 
  H. 
  

   S. 
  Ambler, 
  of 
  Chatham, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  They 
  were 
  found 
  swarming 
  in 
  the 
  

   cow 
  stable 
  of 
  Mr 
  G: 
  C. 
  Herschart, 
  North 
  Hillsdale, 
  April 
  8, 
  having 
  

   probably 
  emerged 
  from 
  a 
  mow 
  of 
  clover 
  nearby. 
  It 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  

   their 
  feeding 
  place 
  had 
  been 
  disturbed 
  by 
  the 
  hay 
  containing 
  them 
  being 
  

   fed 
  to 
  the 
  stock, 
  as 
  they 
  were 
  only 
  about 
  two-thirds 
  grown 
  and 
  are 
  not 
  

   known 
  to 
  leave 
  their 
  food 
  voluntarily 
  except 
  for 
  pupation. 
  

  

  The 
  larvae 
  were 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  cage 
  and 
  provided 
  with 
  grass, 
  on 
  which 
  

   they 
  fed 
  readily, 
  eating 
  both 
  green 
  and 
  dried 
  blades. 
  They 
  manifested 
  a 
  

  

  gregarious 
  habit 
  in 
  spinning 
  their 
  

   silken 
  larval 
  cases 
  in 
  close 
  proxi- 
  

   mity 
  to 
  one 
  another. 
  So 
  marked 
  

   was 
  this, 
  that 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  larvae 
  

   would 
  usually 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  about 
  

   one-fourth 
  of 
  the 
  material 
  in 
  the 
  

   cage. 
  The 
  places 
  selected 
  for 
  

   their 
  retreats 
  rapidly 
  became 
  filled 
  

   with 
  frass 
  and 
  speedily 
  molded 
  on 
  

   account 
  of 
  the 
  gathering 
  damp- 
  

   ness. 
  This 
  gregarious 
  habit 
  is 
  

   undoubtedly 
  of 
  benefit, 
  as 
  it 
  ren- 
  

  

  Fig. 
  2 
  The 
  clover-hay 
  caterpillar 
  and 
  gold-fringe 
  , 
  i 
  • 
  r 
  j 
  • 
  ^ 
  j 
  

  

  moth, 
  PYRALIS 
  costalis; 
  1,2, 
  larva; 
  3, 
  cocoon 
  ; 
  dcrs 
  their 
  food 
  moist 
  and 
  morc 
  

  

  4, 
  pupa; 
  5, 
  6. 
  moth; 
  7, 
  larva 
  within 
  the 
  web 
  palatable, 
  sinCC 
  thev 
  dislikc 
  food 
  

   (from 
  Riley). 
  ^ 
  ' 
  / 
  

  

  containing 
  no 
  moisture 
  and 
  are 
  

   apparently 
  unable 
  to 
  thrive 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  perfectly 
  dry. 
  

  

  April 
  19 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  larvae 
  molted 
  for 
  the 
  last 
  time 
  and 
  others 
  

   were 
  observed 
  casting 
  their 
  skins 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  May 
  4. 
  A 
  month 
  later 
  the 
  

   pretty 
  moths 
  began 
  to 
  appear, 
  and 
  continued 
  to 
  emerge 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  

   for 
  about 
  two 
  weeks. 
  Since 
  Prof. 
  Webster 
  obtained 
  a 
  second 
  brood 
  in 
  

   Ohio 
  from 
  moths 
  emerging 
  in 
  June, 
  it 
  seems 
  most 
  probable 
  that 
  the 
  insect 
  

   has 
  normally 
  two 
  generations 
  annually 
  in 
  this 
  vicinity, 
  the 
  moths 
  of 
  the 
  

   second 
  appearing 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  August, 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  in 
  Ohio. 
  

  

  