402 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



small camers-hair brush was found to be of great assistance. 

 After passing the first molt the nymphs were able to care 

 for themselves, and would boldly attack full-grown cut- 

 worms, of the species mentioned, when the latter were 

 placed in the cages. With increasing age and size they fed 

 readily upon hairy larvae (P. disjoar, Tolype velleda, ef al.). 

 The period of greatest rapacity and of greatest growth is 

 between the third and fourth molt, durino- which time the 

 nymph feeds almost continuously. 



This insect has been taken in the field attackins^ all stao-es 

 of the gypsy moth. Individuals in the first stage were this 

 year found feeding upon the eggs of the gypsy moth, but 

 when confined to this food died at the end of a few days. 

 It is not an uncommon thing for them to attack a pupa, and 

 on one occasion I found four nymphs in the second and third 

 stages feeding upon a single female pupa. Female g}l3sy 

 moths while depositing their egg-clusters, and males while 

 mating, are also occasionally attacked by this insect. 



This species has been found feeding upon the larvae of 

 Vanessa antiojxi, Hjt/phantria cunea, Orgyia leucostigma, 

 Attacus promethea, Clisiocamjxi amerimna and disstria and 

 Paleacrita vernata. It has also been known to devour the 

 dead imagoes oi Limenitis Ursula and PyropTdla ])yrami- 

 doides. In confinement it readily attacks the larvae of 

 Datana mmisfra, Attacus cecropia, Telea polyphemus, 

 Anisota senatoria, Dryocamjja rubicunda, Tolype velleda^ 

 Hhynchagrotis alternata^ jSToctua c-nigrum and Cimhex 

 americana. 



When pressed by hunger these insects develop cannibal 

 tendencies and feed upon other individuals of the same 

 species, and also occasionally attack Podisus cynicus and 

 Menecles insertus, while the two latter species have in turn 

 been found feeding upon P. serieventris. I have seen P. 

 serieventris feeding in confinement upon leaves of Quercus 

 mbra, but I think it very doubtful if it is phyllophagous to 

 any marked degree. 



Mating — Polygamy — Oviposition. — Mating takes place 

 in from three to six days from the time the insect reaches 



