68o 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



over the head, and a pair of long similar erect ones on the eighth segment. 

 All the legs are reddish. Some of the full grown larvae turn black. The 

 moth appears the following June. 



Larch lappet 



Tolype laricis Fitch 



A dull, rusty brown, irregularly white-spotted flattened caterpillar with seiies of 

 grayish tufts on each side, harmonizes very closely with pine bark. 



This caterpillar feeds on pine, hemlock, and larch and occurs on plum 

 and cherry. It is rarely abundant enough to cause any injury and its claim 

 to notice in this connection is based on its being a most excellent example 

 of protective mimicry. This latter is due to several causes. In the first 

 place it is a dull, rusty brown color, broken by irregular, white markings, 

 which give it a striking resemblance to the bark of a tree. This protective 

 feature is further hightened by the flattened form of the caterpillar and 

 especially by the grayish tufts of hair springing from the large lateral tuber- 

 cles and extending on either side a distance nearly equal to the width of 

 the caterpillar itself. This curious larva when at rest harmonizes so closely 

 with its surroundings as to render its detection exceedingly difficult. This 

 latter was nicely exemplified by an experience of the late Dr Lintner, 

 who showed an entomologic friend (well known because of his keen sight 

 further sharpened by long experience in collecting, so that few caterpillars 

 could escape his eyes) a small twig on which were four of these caterpillars, 

 and though they were within reach of his extended finger, he was unable to 

 discover them until their presence was revealed by movements as one after 

 the other was touched. The cocoons of this interesting species are equally 

 difficult to detect. They are placed longitudinally in a slight angle or 

 depression and so spun as to harmonize very closely with their surround- 

 ings, even to the extent of light markings of the bark being continued on 

 the cocoon. 



Bibliography 

 1882 Lintner, J. A. Ins. N. Y. 1st Rep't, p. 87-99 



