Insect Study 



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2. Can you find the caterpillar easily when feeding? Why is it not 

 conspicuous when on the plant? Of what use is this to the caterpillar? 



3. Note the horn on the end of the caterpillar. Is it straight or 

 curled? Is it on the head end? What color is it? Do you think it is of 

 any use to the caterpillar? Do you think it is a sting? If there is no 

 horn, is there an eye-spot on the last segment? What color is it? Can 

 you think of any way in which this eye-spot protects the caterpillar? 



4. Which segments of the caterpillar are the largest? When the 

 creature is disturbed what position does it assume? How does it move? 

 What noise does it make? Do you think this attitude scares away ene- 

 mies? What position does it assume when resting? Do you think that 

 it resembles the Egyptian Sphinx when resting? 



5. How many true legs has this caterpillar? How does it use them 

 when feeding? How many prolegs has it? How are these fleshy legs 

 used? How are they armied to hold fast to the leaf or twig? Describe 

 the hind or prop-leg. How is it used? 



6. Do you see the breathing 

 pores or spiracles along the sides 

 of the body? How many are 

 there? How are they colored? 

 How does the caterpillar breathe? 

 Do you think it can breathe 

 through its mouth ? 



7. How does the sphinx cater- 

 pillar grow? AVatcli your cater- 

 pillar and see it shed its skin. 

 Where does the old skin break 

 open? How does the new, soft 

 skin look? Do the young cater- 

 pillars resemble the full-grown 

 ones? 



8. Describe how the cater- 

 pillar eats. Can you see the jaws 

 move? Does it eat up the plant 

 clean as it goes? 



9. Have you ever found the sphinx caterpillar covered with whitish, 

 oval objects? What are these? Does the caterpillar look plump or 

 emaciated? Explain what these objects are and how they came to be 

 there. 



10. Where does the caterpillar go to change to a pupa? Does 

 it make cocoons? How does the pupa look? Can you see the long 

 tongue case, the wing cases, the antenna cases? 



A Myron caterpillar that has been para- 

 sitized. The white objects upon it are 

 the cocoons of the little grubs which 

 feed upon the fatty parts of the cater- 

 pillar. 



Photo by M. V. Slingerland. 



The Moth 



1. Where did you find this moth? Was it flying by dayHght or in 

 the dusk? How did its swift moving wings sound? Was it visit- 

 ing flowers? What flowers? Where is the nectar in these flowers? 



2. What is the shape of the moth's body? Is it stout or slender? 

 What colors has it ? How is it marked ? 



3. The wings of which pair are longer? Sketch or describe the 

 form of the front and the hind wings? Are the outer edges scalloped, 



