THE ABUTILON MOTH. 



THE LARVA. 



First stage. — Length of the newly hatched larva, 2 mm. Color very pale greenish 

 yellow along the dorsum, white and transparent toward the sides; head pale yellowish, 

 without any markings; eyes black, tips of mandibles brown. Antennae short, 

 3-jointed; first joint stout, very short and somewhat conical; second joint longest, 

 clavate, its tip obliquely truncate externally, bearing at inner and outer angles a 

 stout spine, which is a little longer than the third joint; third joint shorter than sec- 

 ond, cylindrical, with a small tubercle at tip, resembling a fourth joint, and provided 

 at its tip with a fine hah; at the inner side of the third joint, at base of the apical tu- 

 bercles, arises a stout spine which is almost as long as the joint itself. Piliferous warts, 

 pale brownish, each bearing a long and slender pale hair. Legs rather long, white; 

 only two pairs of prolegs, situated on abdominal joints 8 and 9. 



Second stage. — The first molt takes place seven or eight days after hatching; at this 

 time the larvae differ from the newly hatched specimens only in the somewhat larger 

 size and slightly darker color. 



Third stage.— In from six to seven days the second skin is cast, and with this molt 

 appears the third pair of abdominal legs on joint 7. They are, however, extremely 

 small and scarcely noticeable ; they are not used in walking. The color now is a darker 

 green, lighter toward the sides, and with a pair of rather indistinct whitish dorsal stripes. 

 Head highly polished, pale, faintly greenish, with two pale, dusky oblique stripes. 

 Cervical shield slightly dusky, with a darker posterior margin. Piliferous warts 

 black, the hairs colorless. The abdominal legs are marked externally with a broad 

 dusky stripe. 



Fourth stage. — The third skin is cast six or seven days after the second molt. The 

 larva is now almost of the color of the leaves, and measures about 14 mm. in length. 

 The median and somewhat wavy lateral lines are darker than the rest of the body; 

 the subdorsal stripes and sutures between the joints are white. The prolegs on abdom- 

 inal joint 7 are now quite distinct, though rather small, and are used in walking. 



Fifth stage. — The fourth skin is cast three to five days later, the larva having changed 

 very little in appearance, except that the dorsal and lateral lines and the piliferous 

 warts are distinctly dusky. 



Sixth stage. — Five or six days later the fifth skin is shed , and the larva does not change 

 in appeareance. 



Seventh stage. — The sixth molt takes place about five days after the fifth, and the 

 whole appearance of the insect is considerably changed. The color is pale, trans- 

 lucent, pea-green. The head is not polished, of the color of the body; the two oblique 

 dusky stripes are composed of several irregular spots; the labrum is white, antennae 

 pale greenish, and the eyes black. The median and the two subdorsal lines are com- 

 posed of numerous irregular spots of a lemon-yellow color, of which those on median 

 and the lower dorsal lines have a more or less distinctly dusky shade on either side; 

 the lateral line is quite broad and almost white. Piliferous warts pale yellow, sur- 

 rounded by transversely oval, indistinct, dusky rings. The whole body is speckled 

 with numerous, usually transversely oval, small, lemon-yellow spots, which inclose 

 from two to three almost colorless, glistening, round dots. Stigmata orange. Legs 

 pale green; claws and booklets pale brown; venter bluish-green. 



Length of full-grown larva about 35 mm. (If inches). 



Larvae at work on an Abutilon leaf are illustrated in Plate V, 

 above. 



THE PUPA. 



Length, 15 mm. Color, blackish-brown; wing-sheaths opaque, the remaining 

 portion faintly polished. Front of head prolonged into a short, stout, conical pro- 

 jection; near its base ventrally are two fine and quite long hairs and two similar pairs 



