﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  STATE 
  ENTOMOLOGIST 
  189 
  

  

  been 
  frozen 
  stiff 
  and 
  partially 
  encased 
  in 
  ice. 
  In 
  Kentucky 
  the 
  insect 
  

   spins 
  up 
  about 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  June 
  and 
  the 
  moths 
  emerge 
  about 
  the 
  15th. 
  

   Under 
  exceptional 
  conditions 
  the 
  insect 
  pupates 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  and 
  the 
  

   imago 
  is 
  disclosed 
  before 
  winter 
  sets 
  in. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  recorded 
  parasite 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  Ophion 
  arctice 
  

   Ashm., 
  which 
  was 
  reared 
  from 
  it 
  at 
  Columbia, 
  S. 
  C. 
  

  

  Food-plants. 
  

   The 
  insect 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  general 
  feeder 
  in 
  its 
  travels 
  over 
  the 
  ground 
  as 
  it 
  

   approaches 
  maturity, 
  and 
  eats 
  from 
  almost 
  any 
  plant 
  that 
  it 
  chances 
  to 
  

   meet 
  with 
  except 
  the 
  coarser 
  ones. 
  It 
  will 
  also 
  climb 
  low 
  trees 
  and 
  

   feed 
  on 
  the 
  foliage. 
  Among 
  its 
  favorite 
  food 
  plants 
  are 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   Compositae, 
  the 
  wild 
  sun-flower 
  (Helianthus) 
  being 
  one 
  commonly 
  eaten 
  

   by 
  the 
  larva. 
  It 
  has 
  also 
  been 
  recorded 
  as 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  willow, 
  poke 
  

   berry, 
  and 
  black 
  locust 
  in 
  nature. 
  In 
  confinement 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  reared 
  suc- 
  

   cessfully 
  on 
  cabbage, 
  the 
  plantain, 
  castor 
  bean 
  [Ricifius 
  communis)^ 
  and 
  

   the 
  spurge 
  {^Euphorbia 
  cyathophora). 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  

   This 
  insect 
  has 
  a 
  wide 
  distribution, 
  being 
  comparatively 
  abundant 
  

   throughout 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  northern 
  United 
  States 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  parts 
  of 
  

   Canada. 
  In 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  southern 
  swamps 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  common, 
  and 
  in 
  

   those 
  regions 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  known 
  as 
  " 
  Fever-worm 
  " 
  among 
  the 
  negroes 
  

   from 
  a 
  mistaken 
  impression 
  that 
  this 
  caterpillar 
  is 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  ague. 
  

  

  An 
  Innoxious 
  Insect. 
  

   The 
  injuries 
  resulting 
  from 
  this 
  insect 
  are 
  seldom, 
  if 
  ever, 
  serious, 
  as 
  it 
  

   is 
  nowhere 
  known 
  as 
  a 
  common 
  pest, 
  and 
  it 
  rarely 
  causes 
  any 
  damage 
  

   worthy 
  of 
  notice. 
  This 
  would 
  naturally 
  result 
  from 
  their 
  restlessness, 
  

   which 
  does 
  not 
  allow 
  them 
  to 
  remain 
  long 
  in 
  one 
  place, 
  and 
  from 
  their 
  

   food 
  consisting 
  largely 
  of 
  comparatively 
  valueless 
  plants. 
  

  

  