HUNTING LARWE OF LEPIDOPTERS. (Continued) 

 (R. R. Rowley, Superintendent of Schools, Louisiana, Mo.) 



As stated in my first article, one will have more success searching for 

 larvae of butterflies and many moths, on tender young sprouts. I once took 

 two of the finest "hickory-horned-devils" on a walnut bush hardly eight feet high. 



While larvae should be sought on the under side of the foliage or twigs, 

 yet the "hatchings" of many species, especially of Papilios, remain on the top 

 side till after the first and, sometimes, second moult. The little caterpillars of 

 Ajax are black when feeding on the top side and those of Cresphontes and 

 Turnus are hardly lighter. The grown larvae of Popilio troilus rest in silken 

 lined curled leaves of sassafras. Learn the foodplants of the moth or butterfly 

 you are anxious to secure and search every bush or tree till you find what 

 you are looking for. Of course, the time of year must be correct. June, August 

 and September are the best months. 



The most interesting larvae collecting is that of hawk moth caterpillars and, 

 some years, most of the species are plentiful and so are their parasitic enemies. 

 I "used" to wish I could annihilate the parasites of larvae. You happen on 

 a rare worm and gather him in tenderly and for a week he is treated to the 

 tenderest of "greens," when lo! he falls sick and "breaks out with parasites," 

 not measles. There's no use to call in a doctor, that worm is about ready for 

 the undertaker. What pain a poor caterpillar must suffer when scores of little 

 hymenopterous larvae bore their way out through his body to the surface! 



Once when I had been down the brook on the lookout for June butterflies, 

 I discovered a full grown hawk larva on a blackhaw sprout. I didn't know 

 anything fed on blackhaw and while I knew at once that my find was Everyx, 

 I tried hard to think it was versicolor, although I knew the foodplant of the 

 latter was said to be buttonbush. It was late in the afternoon and I failed to 

 find others, though I made a short search, and, so, after cutting some food 

 sprays for the captive and "tucking away" in my hat (food leaves or small 

 twigs can be carried half a day or longer in the hat on the head if first thoroughly 

 wet), I wended my way homeward with my mind full of "parti-colored hawks." 

 Next day that treasure worm had the breaking out and so perished miserably. 

 Fortunately, later I found enough of the same worms to get an imago or two 

 and saw the first bred specimens of Everyx choerilus. While gathering the 

 choerilus larvae I found caterpillars of Hemaris thysbe on the same sprouts. 

 Later I found both of these on snowball. 



Many of my good finds were accidental. While looking for larvae of 

 Apatura celtis and clyton on hackberry I happened on the caterpillars of Libythea 

 bachmanii. 



Grape and woodbine yield larvae of Philampelus achemon, and pandorus, 

 Everyx myron, Deidamia inscripta, Amphion nessus, Thyreus abbotii, besides 

 the "eight spotted forester," Psychomorpha epimenis and other good things. 

 Plum, apple, wildcherry, crab, honey locust, lead plant, hazel, walnut, elm, 

 wild indigo, in fact almost every available plant will give you many genuine 

 surprises. Some larvae, as those of Anaea andria, Alypia octomaculata, the 

 beautiful Psychomorpha epimenis, Papilio tuvnus, troilus and philenor spin re- 

 treats on the top sides of leaves and infolding the edges of the leaf. The little 

 autumn larvae of Limenitis Ursula and disippus make winter retreats or hiber- 

 nacula inside small willow and poplar leaves and may be found throughout the 

 winter, as they are fastened to the twig much as a cocoon of Promethea or 

 Polyphemus. The larvae of Amaea andria to the time of the second moult take 

 refuge on a slender thread-like perch built out of chewed up leaf and refuse 



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