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1966
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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
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213
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THE LARVA AND PUPA OF ORTHOSIA HIBISCI QUINQUEFASCIATA (NOCTUIDAE)
John Adams Comstock and Christopher Henne Del Mar, and Pearblossom, California
In the group of moths listed by McDunnough (1938) under the genus Orthosia and in the insciens-hibisci-quinquefasciata complex, in particular, there has been much taxonomic juggling in past years by various authors. Along with this, there has been comparatively little life history work, and still less illustrating of the early stages.
The most helpful published note is that of William T. M. Forbes (1954) in which he speaks of the larva of Orthosia hihisci as one of the notorious "Green Fruit-worms," and gives a brief description of the larva. He pointed out that hibisci is not the typical insect, but is a variation of the normal form, insciens.
The form which seems predominant on the West Coast is quinquefas-ciata, a subspecies which was described by Smith in 1909 (Jour. N. Y. Ent. Soc, 17: 65). Later, Smith (1910), referring to its habitat, said, "I have at present four males and two females from Wellington and Vancouver, B. C, and Pullman, Washington."
Hampson (1905) lists hibisci Guen., and insciens Wlk., under Monima alia Guen., which he pictures in color on Plate 90, fig. 29.
S. E. Crumb (1956) described the mature larva in some detail, and stated that "no differences have been found between larvae of eastern hibisci and western hibisci var. quinquefasciata Smith." His comment on food plants was "a very general feeder, principally on woody plants." Other authors specifically mention Quercus, Salix, and Prunus. Prentice (1962) recorded numerous hosts for h. hibisci, with highest number of collections from Populus, Salix, and Betula.
A mature larva of this species was collected in the San Gabriel Mountain, northwest of Jackson Lake, Los Angeles County, June 10, 1964, elevation 5,800 ft. It was feeding on Alnus rhombifolia Nutt. An adult was reared from this larva, making possible the identification, and the following illustrations and descriptions.
Larva
Final instar (Fig. 1 A): Length 35 mm. Greatest width, 5 mm. Head width 3 mm; glistening yellow-green. Ocelli, lower two or three black, remainder translucent. Labrum and antennae nearly white. Tips of mandibles brown.
Body ground color, alder-leaf green. First cervical segment, anterior margin white. A conspicuous middorsal longitudinal white band, a narrow longitudinal subdorsal white stripe, a wide white band just above the spiracles. Area between these bands and stripes profusely sprinkled with small white dots, as is sub-spiracular region, including venter.
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214 Comstock and Henne. Noctuid larva Vol. 20, no. 4
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Fig. 1. Orthosia hibisci quinquefasciata Smith; A, mature larva; B, pupa, ventral aspect. Drawing by J. A. Comstock.
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1966
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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
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215
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Legs translucent light green. Prolegs concolorous with body. Crochets tinged with pink. Spiracles light tan, narrowly rimmed with brown. All spiracles located along the lower edge of the white surpraspiracular band except the last caudal, which is superior to the band.
Setae short and colorless.
Pupa
(Fig. 1 B) Length, 15.5 mm. Greatest width through middle of thorax, 5.3 mm. Eyes smooth, prominent. Maxillae reaching to wing margins. Metathoracic leg extending 0.5 mm short of pro thoracic, antennae still shortej:. Abdomen tapering to a point, from which a pair of short straight spicules protrude. Spiracles, small, concolorous with body, their centers slightly protruding, margins recessed.
Pupa nearly black, abdominal segments and thoracic appendages tinged with red-brown. Surface texture smooth and glistening over abdominal areas, very finely ridged or furrowed over most of the thorax and wings.
Literature Cited Crumb, S. E., 1956. The larvae of the Phalaenidae. Tech. Bull. No. 1135, U. S.
Dept. Agric, p. 168. Forbes, W. T. M., 1954. Lepidoptera of New York and neighboring states. III.
Memoir 329, Cornell Univ. Agr. Exper. Sta., p. 105. Hampson, G. F., 1905. Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British
Museum. V. 430. (as Monima alia). PL XC, fig. 29. McDunnough, J., 1938. Check list of the Lepidoptera of Canada and the United
States of America. Part 1, Macrolepidoptera. Mem. So. Calif. Acad. Sci. I, p. 76. Prentice, R. M. (ed.), 1962. Forest Lepidoptera of Canada recorded by The
Forest Insect Survey, Volume 2, Nycteolidae, Noctuidae, Notodentidae, Lipari-
dae. Canad. Dept. Forestry, Bull. 128, p. 137. Smith, J. B., 1910. Notes on certain Taeniocampa species. Canad. Ent, 42 (10):
322.
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A MELANIC FEMALE OF COLIAS EURYTHEME (PIERIDAE)
The capture of a black Colias is apt to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The collector knows almost instinctively that he has taken a phenomenal prize among butterflies. A melanic female of Colias eury-theme Boisduval was taken on August 7, 1965, in the; front yard of an Ottawa, Kansas home. The butterfly was taken while in company with Agraulis vanillae (Linn.) and Phoebis sennae eubule (Linn.), but no other Colias were in evidence in the vicinity.
It will be noted from the illustration made from the specimen that the familiar black pattern edging so characteristic of both eurytheme and philodice is much in evidence, but the ground color of the upper surfaces is an even smoky gray on both pairs of wings. The deep orange hindwing cell spot of a normal female is, in this case, solid black. The veins are heavy and black. The lower surfaces are even more dramatically unusual. The basal portion of the forewing is a dark smoky blue-gray with black granules fading out toward the margin to a pale greenish yellow. In contrast to the black area of the forewing, the hindwings
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