THE ALFALFA CATEEPILLAE. 
Fig. 4. — The alfalfa caterpillar : Male in the 
adult, or butterfly, stage. One-half enlarged. 
(Author's illustration.) 
outline, such as would enable the casual observer to recognize the 
different forms. 
THE ADULT. 
The typical wing color of the adults is an orange-yellow with a 
black outer border above, and a lighter yellow color on the under- 
side with the black outer 
border wanting. There is a 
black discal spot in each of 
the four wings and a double 
discal spot of orange in each 
hind wing, The lower sur- 
face of the wing is the one 
noticed when the butterfly is 
at rest. The male (fig. 4.) 
may be distinguished from 
the female (fig. 1) by the 
fact that the outer border of 
the wings is solid black in 
the former, but broken by a 
line of yellow dots in the latter. A white or albino female form is 
frequently found with other color markings, the same as in the 
yellow form. The wing expanse is about 2 inches. 
EGG. 
The egg (fig. 5) is small, only 0.06 of an inch long : with from 18 
to 20 slightly raised longitudinal ridges or ribs broken by cross lines. 
It is elongated, white when laid, but turning red- 
dish brown after the second day, and is deposited 
PH upright, with the basal end attached usually to the 
upper surface of the leaf. 
LARVA. 
fig. 5.— The alfalfa The newly hatched larva is a tiny, dark brown, 
caterpillar: Egg, cylindrical object which soon after feeding takes 
greatly enlarged. . 
(Redrawn from on a green color. Growth is rapid and the larva 
Scudder.) (£g^ 2), after having shed its skin or molted four 
times, is a little more than an inch in length and is of a dark grass- 
green color, with a white stripe on each side of the body, through 
which runs a crimson line. Beneath this stripe on each segment or 
division of the body is a black spot. There is often an intermediate, 
narrower, broken, and less distinct white line just above each of 
the lateral lines. This may be wanting. In some specimens a 
black or dark green median dorsal line is also present. 
48305°— Bull. 124—14 2 
