204 
Psyche 
[Vol. 95 
While performing a histological examination of the abdomen of 
C. comanche larvae, I found that the hindgut epithelium changes 
drastically prior to pupation. The work described here is a light 
microscopic examination of larval and prepupal C. comanche hind- 
gut epithelium, and an electron microscopic investigation of cocoon 
structure. 
Materials and Methods 
Laboratory colonies of C. comanche were raised from adults col- 
lected in Orange Co., Ca. Rearing procedures followed those de- 
scribed earlier (LaMunyon and Adams 1987). 
Mid-third instar larvae, prepupae spinning silk, and prepupae 
that had just spun cocoons, were prepared for light microscopy in 
Figure 1 . Light micrographs of cross sections through the abdomen of larval and 
prepupal C. comanche. (A) Mid third-instar larva (Bar = 100/u). (B) Prepupa spin- 
ning silk (phase contrast; Bar = 100 n). (C) Prepupa after spinning silk (Bar = 100/i). 
(D) Close-up of (C) (Bar = lOju). c, circular muscle; e, epithelium; hw, hindgut wall; 1, 
longitudinal muscle; m, epithelial associated material; s, silk precursors; v, epithelial 
villi. 
