48 
crossed by others which encircle the egg. The eggs are laid in regu- 
lar masses and often in rows of about seven or eight, and to the num- 
ber of sixty or thereabouts, and frequently along the twigs of fruit 
trees. iVn egg is shown in proiile very much 
enlarged at e of figure 9, and from above in 
the lower portion of figure 10. The upper 
portion of the latter figure shows an egg- 
mass of this moth as deposited upon a leaf of 
cowpea, while at / of figure 9 another mass 
is shown deposited upon a twig. 
The larva. — The larva? when first hatched 
are green in color, with indistinct lines, and 
a very few scattered hairs, the head being 
black. They undergo several molts before 
reaching full maturity, but as all these dif- 
ferent stages (five in number) have been 
described elsewhere they will be omitted. 
Rather complete descriptions are given in 
the late Dr. J. A. Lintner's fifth report on 
the insects of New York. 1 
At maturity the larva has attained a con- 
siderable size, measuring about one and 
three-fourths inches (45 mm.) in length and 
one-fourth inch (6 mm.) in 
width. At this stage the larva 
is even more variable than the 
moth, that shown in the illus- 
tration at d (fig. 9) being of 
the darkest form, drawn from a lot found injuring fruit 
trees. When the larva feeds on low-growing plants, such 
as celery, the color appears to be usually very much 
lighter, particular^ in individuals that have passed the 
winter in the ground. An extreme pale form is shown 
at figure 11. The general color of the dark form is 
rather dull brown, often with a greenish tinge (which 
becomes purplish by inflation), finely mottled with gray 
and smoky black above. The ventral surface is much 
paler dull-gray, often with a carneous tint. The velvety, 
black, undulating, interrupted stripes with which the 
sides are ornamented, as also the row of short, longi- 
tudinal, black lines on each segment and the row of from 
four to six yellow, mediodorsal, rounded spots, which 
are more or less prominent on the second to the fifth to seventh 
segments, are all sufficiently shown at o and d (fig. 9). The 
1 A good general account, with bibliography up to that date (1889), will also be 
found on pages 200-206 of the same publication. 
Fig. 10.— Peridroma saucia: Egg 
mass on cowpea leaf; egg much 
enlarged at left below (original). 
• 
I 
Fig. 11.— Peri- 
droma saucia: 
pale form of 
larva — enlarged 
about one-fourth 
(original). 
