34 
Psyche 
[March 
of Carpocapsa pomonella L. when crowded exhibit canni- 
balism (Balduf, 1931). Buckstone (1938) recorded an in- 
stance in which the larvae of Pieris rapae L. and ova of 
P. brassicae were confined in the same box. When the latter 
emerged, they ate the former although the enclosed cabbage 
leaves were still fresh. 
With further regard to cannibalism under natural con- 
ditions I am grateful to Dr. H. G. Crawford of the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, Canada for permission to quote from 
correspondence with departmental officers in the field. 
During the summer of 1938 outbreaks of Cirphis uni- 
puncta Haw. occurred but no cannibalism was observed. 
However, Mr. R. P. Gorham reported that larvse under 
laboratory conditions fed on pupse although they showed no 
interest in larvae even when massed together in great num- 
bers. The same officer noticed no cannibalism in N ephelodes 
emmedonia Cram. Agrotis fennica Tausch repeatedly at- 
tack one another in captivity. Mr. Gorham is of the opinion 
that most of our common garden cutworms are cannibalistic 
on pupse in the laboratory. No cannibalism was observed in 
Euxoa ochrogaster Guen. or Loxostege sticticalis L. Mr. 
K. M. King and Mr. H. L. Seamans report that larger larvse 
of Agrotis orthogonia Morr. attack smaller and weaker ones 
especially in the laboratory. Chizagrotis auxiliaris Grote 
according to Mr. Seamans is markedly cannibalistic under 
conditions of migration. When the advance of the larvse is 
checked by some obstacle such as a furrow, the weaker 
larvse are quickly attacked. Curiously enough larvse which 
have been killed by poisoned bait are frequently eaten. 
Literature Cited 
Aitken, E. H. and Davidson, J., 1890. Notes on the larvae and pupae 
of some of the butterflies of the Bombay Presidency. J. Bombay 
Nat. Hist. Soc., 5:362. 
Balduf, W. V., 1931. Carnivorous moths and butterflies. Trans. 
Illinois State Acad. Sci., 24(2): 156-164. 
■ 1938. The rise of entomophagy among Lepidoptera. American 
Nat., 72: 358-379. 
Biedermann. W., 1911. Die Aufnahme, Verarbeitung und Assimilation 
der Nahrung. Pf. 9. Die Ernahrung der Insekten. Winter- 
stein, Handb. vergl. Physiol. 2(1): 726-902. 
1919. Beitrage zur vergleichenden Physiologie VII and VIII. 
Pflugers Archiv f. die ges. Physiologie, 174: 358-425. 
