398 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



preceding stage, and the eyes are very prominent. Antenna? 

 as in the second stage. The outer anterior angles of the 

 head are rounded, as well as that part of the anterior margin 

 included between the two sulci ; the latter extend backward 

 about one-third the leno-th of the head. The outer maroin 

 of the thorax is serrated, as in the preceding stage. The 

 color of the body in this stage is subject to great variation, 

 but brown or black predominates upon the head and thorax 

 and some shade of red upon the abdomen. Usually the head 

 and thorax are margined with a narrow, pale-yellowish- white 

 line, while four small spots of pale-^^ellowish brown occur 

 on opposite sides of the dorsal line of the pro-thorax, and 

 two spots of the same color on each side of the dorsal line 

 of the meso-thorax. The abdomen bears the same markings 

 as in the preceding stages, but the ground color varies to a 

 considerable degree. From each side of each dark marginal 

 spot a creamy- white line extends in towards the large dorsal 

 spots. In some cases these lines are very wide, and give to 

 the abdomen a very light and somewhat striped appearance ; 

 in other cases they are nearly obscured by the red ground 

 color. The beak, legs and under surface of the body are 

 marked the same as in the second stage. As the nymph of 

 the third stage approaches the molting period, the outlines 

 of the scutellum and wing pads become somewhat apparent. 



The third molt occurs from five to six days after the pre- 

 cedino' one. 



Fourth Stage. — This stage is shown on Plate 61, Fig. 9, 

 Length of body, 8.5 mm. General form of body, aside from 

 head, nearly elliptical, slightly widened posteriorly. Head 

 with two deep sulci, and closely apjDressed to the anterior 

 margin of the thorax. Antennae as in the preceding stage, 

 the second joint much the longest. The yellow marginal 

 band of the head and thorax is wider than in the third stage, 

 otherwise the colors of the upper surface of the body are the 

 same as those of the third stage. The under surface of the 

 body sometimes varies to a brownish tint, but in general it 

 is like that of the preceding stage. The color of the legs 

 and beak is not changed from that of the third stage. The 

 wing pads and scutellum appear in this stage. Xymphs in 



