Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-07-14
For the Freeman.
A Chat with Farmers.
BY AGRICOLA.
ABOUT NOXIOUs INSECTS.

The Autiapa butterfly hibernates in the
winter. Large numbers have been found
clinging to the RATS of the barn, and in
crevices of walls and stone heaps with
their wings doubled together above the
back, apparently liteless. But they soon
revive when exposed to warmth. They
sometimes come out of their winter quar-
tiers, before the snow has left the ground,
with ragged and faded wings. Wilson
aludes to this species and their early COM
ing in the spring, in his beautiful lines on
the bluebrd-
"When first the lone butterfly fits on the wing"
Their caterpilars live together in large
numbers on the poplar, willow and elm.
They are black, infinitely dotted with
white, and have row of eight dark
brick red spots on the top of the back.
When fully grown they measure nearly
two inches, and appear quite formidable
with their thorny armors pointing in all
directions. This is not venomous species,
rs some have supposed. They are very
destructive of our most ornamental trees,
and deserve TO be annihilated, if we had
the power to destroy them. They stop
eating and enter into the chrysalis state,
the first of July, and second brood Of
caterpillars are ready for mischief in Au.
gust and pass through all their changes
before winter.
The semicolon butterfly first appears in
May. and again in August and September
aud is on the wing in warm and sunny
places, till the middle of October. IT.
caterpillars live on the American elm ant
lime tree and on the hop vine, which i
sometimes entirely destroys. The last o
August they stop eating and suspend
themselves beneath the leaves TO become
chrysalds Now is the time to catch AM
destroy them, though it cannot be don
without loss to the vines. The safest wa,
is to cut down the vines, strip them of thu
fruit that is sufficiently ripe, and the
burn them. The chrysalis state usual
lasts from eleven to fourteen days. Late
broods transform less rapidly. And her
is curious fact. Great numbers of tn
chrysalids are annually destroyed by littl
maggots within them. How they cam
there nobody knows, but they underg
transformation and become four winge
flies. They must come, however, frot
i eggs laid by these tiny flies upon the ca
erpillar of this species of butterfly. w
have another class of butterflies calle
shippers. They frequent grassy place
and low bushes and lhickets, flying wit
seeming difficulty, with u jerking motion
from which circumstance their name
derived. They have six legs, four {
which are armed with two pairs of spun
Their caterpillars are spindle shaped
the middle, and taper at each extremit,
They are generally naked or mere)
l downy, and have large heads and sma
e, necks. They arc solitary in their habit
and undergo their transformation with
an envelope of leaves fastened by the
: silken threads. In most of our skipper
the antenna are curved at the end. Son
species are very beautiful. They al
Y found in meadows in the month of Ma
+ and again in August. The caterpill;
- lives on pea-blossomed plants. 1t leave
il the chrysaIis in nine days, but the secon
:, brood continues in this state all winter.
Il There is large and beautiful skippt
/. which makes its appearance from tt
-, middle of June for two weeks upon swe
u scented flowers in the middle of the da
e Its flight is vigorous and rapid. 1t lays
e eggs. one by one, on the leaves on Il
s common locust tree. The worm is hatcht
in July and conceals itself under the fol-
J of the leaf, bent over and fastened wi
IS silken threads. This is done apparent
d to protect itself from birds. When fl
q grown it is two inches long, of a pa
green color, and large head. 1t takes
i food in the night. and is concealed in Il
e daytime. 1t is very clearly insect, al
is usually transformed within the sar
N leaf which has served as its habitatio
- There are several other species of skipper
II most OF which are smaller in size, b
|; similar in habits. They vary much
d color, and some species are much mo
! numerous than others.
;. Our next paper will treat of mot
u which are described under different nam
to distinguish their peculiarities VIII
II compared with each other. What wor
of life and activity does the insect tri
; reveal to US.