FAMILY HABITS IN BUTTERFLY LARVAE THE URBICOLIDS. 19 



liness of the Urbicolid larvae in their leafy homes. Thus Harris notes 

 that " the larvae of Epargyreus tityrus are cleanly in their habits, make 

 no dirt in their habitations, but throw it out with a sudden jerk so 

 that it shall fall to a considerable distance — often several yards." Of 

 the larva of Thorybes pylades, Scudder remarks that it is as cleanly in 

 its habits as that of E. tityrus, always retreating a few steps to the 

 edge of its abode, and, elevating the terminal segment slightly, snapping 

 away its ejectamenta. Of the larvae of the Nearctic Nisoniadid species, 

 the same author says that their nests are kept scrupulously clean, 

 whilst Edwards observes that the larvae of Pholisora catullus are 

 perfectly neat in their cases, the frass being always expelled or voided 

 outside. The larva of Atrytone zabulon also invariably leaves its nest 

 to expel its excrement, whilst the larva of Calpodes ethlius is reported 

 to forcibly eject all excrement, as well as all exuviae from the upper 

 free end of its tubular case. As opposed in character to this general 

 habit of .cleanliness usually observed in the Urbicolid larvae, it may be 

 noted that the larva of Urbicola sassacus is reported not to be at all 

 cleanly in its habits, but to soil its hiding-place considerably. 



The Urbicolid larvae have been generally described as most lethargic 

 in their habits and movements, and to a certain extent this is, perhaps, 

 true ; there are, however, certainly some general exceptions to this 

 rule, and many of the larvae retreat or advance rapidly into or from 

 their hiding-places if disturbed. Thus the general habits of the larvae 

 of Adopaea lineola and A. flava may be said to be quite lethargic, but 

 the larvae are able to move up and down the grass-tubes in which they 

 live with considerable rapidity. These larvae rarely do more than 

 leave their nests by night to feed, remaining quite hidden therein 

 during the day, and their movements are, unless they are disturbed, 

 exceedingly slow and deliberate. The movements of the larva of 

 Augiades sylvanus are also extremely sluggish, and it crawls exceedingly 

 slowly from one point to another ; Hellins observes that the larvae of this 

 species appear to be much more lethargic than those of Urbicola comma. 

 Frohawk notes that the larvae of I), comma crawl rapidly either 

 forwards or backwards, and that, if disturbed when crawling, the larva 

 frequently wriggles backwards very rapidly, similarly to the habit of 

 wriggling possessed by many micro larvae. Staudinger also observes 

 that the larvae of U. comma retreated very rapidly into their tubes 

 when an attempt was made to capture them, and further remarks that 

 " the larva is only apparently lazy, for, before its final metamorphosis, 

 or earlier if taken out of its tube, as well as in nature when feeding, 

 its movements are remarkably rapid." The larva of Cyclopides 

 palaemon is also active when disturbed, and, at the slightest touch, will 

 run rapidly out of its tube either backwards or forwards^ and, after 

 remaining quite still for a time (sometimes as long as an hour), until 

 all apparent danger has passed, it retreats into its abode ; its natural 

 movements, however, are very slow. Of our British Hesperiines, the 

 larva of Hesperia malvae is very sluggish, and the larva rests in its 

 tent for hours at a stretch, with its head curled round sideways towards 

 its tail. The larvae of Nisoniades tages are even more sluggish, for they 

 rarely leave their domiciles completely, even to feed. 



Of the sluggishness of the larvae of the Nearctic Urbicolids, a good 

 deal has been written. Scudder says that " they are slow in their 

 every movement ; it generally takes them nearly a day to eat their 



