39 



Ta early spring, just when the grape blossoms were fairly open, while pinching in the 

 rapidly growing branches of a vine, a blossom bunch attracted attention by its unusual 

 appearance. A closer inspection showed that parfc of the bunch had been eaten away, 

 and the remaining portions drawn together by light silken threads, and within the enclo- 

 sure was a dull brown caterpillar, with its body much contracted, and ju&t ready to assume 

 the chrysalis state. The bunch was removed from the vine and enclosed in a small box, 

 when in a day or two afterwards the change of form took place. The chrysalis was six- 

 tenths of an inch long, and of a pale reddish brown color. In about ten days afterwards it 

 produced the perfect insect which proved to be Cidaria diversilineata. These observations 

 disclose an interesting fact regarding the history of this insect, which is that it passes the 

 winter, sometimes if not invariably in the caterpillar state, hybernating in some secure 

 retreat, where it sleeps peacefully till called a»ain into activity by the genial warmth of 

 spring, when in a few days it finishes its growth and effects its changes as already descri- 

 bed. The accompanying figure illustrating this insect, is also the work of Mr. Charles J. 



Fig. 43. Beale, of London, Ontario, who has drawn and engraved 



the moth from nature — the larva is copied from Packard's 

 Guide to the Study of Insects. 



This moth (Fig. 43) measures, when its wings are expan- 

 ded, about one and a half inches. Its color is pale ochre 

 yellow, crossed by many greyish brown lines,, and clouded 

 also with patches of the same, particularly along the mar- 

 gin of the wings. The under side is a little paler than the 

 upper, with fewer and fainter lines, but bordered along the 

 outer edges, much the same as above. The body and legs 

 Color -Larva yellowish green— similar in color to the wings, the legs being marked 

 Moth pale ochre yellow. with black about the joints. 



On the 7th of June a number of reddish geometric caterpillars were found on the 

 vine leaver, in which they had eaten innumerable holes of various shapes and sizes ; these 

 proved to belong to the sime insect. At this time (see Fig. 43), they were about an inch 

 long. The head was rather small, flattened in front, and biiobed, each lobe projecting 

 above and terminating in a punt. Its color was dull brownish green, and the mandibles 

 were tipped with reddish brown. 



The body above was dull yellowish green, with a reddish or pink tinge, the second 

 segment pale yellowish green, smooth, and very similar in appearance to the head, but 

 larger. The third, fourth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth segments were also pale 

 yellowish green, but the middle segments had a decided pinkish tinge. The surface of 

 the body was wrinkled, and the terminal segment famished with two short greenish spines, 

 which extended backwards over the anal lid. 



The under surface was similar in color to the upper, with a double whitish line 

 down the middle. The feet were pinkish, and the thick fleshy prolegs green, 



Many variations in color were observed in different specimens of this larva. One 

 which answered the description given above, on the 7th, changed its skin on the morn- 

 ing of the 8fch, and appeared in a garb of very dark brown, nearly black, with longitudinal 

 lines of a paler brown. A younger specimen was yellowish green, with the head very large 

 and prominent. Another, older one, was bright deep red above, with a wide broken band 

 of dull green down the middle of the under surface, without any appearance of the double 

 whitish line so prominent in most of the others. A fourth, about the same size, was dull 

 whitish green, with the whitish lines below also wanting. 



A full grown caterpillar, found on the lObh June, measured one and a quarter 

 inches. Its head was dull reddish brown, the body above yellowish green, a 3 in the 

 former description, but with a few very small whitish dots on each segment. On each 

 side of the second segment was a small reddish spot, and on the third a larger one of a 

 darker shade, and on this latter segment the folds of the skin protruded, making the spot 

 appear like a brown prominence. The spaces between the middle segments were yellowish 

 white, excepting one or two of the terminal one3, which were dull brown. In other 

 respects it answered to the previous description. 



