The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-04
LIFE GA cATERPIILARs.
Their Habits Are Interesting and
They Have Tcmpcrs Different


species.
From tho Hartford Times
The study OF The ord.nsre everyday
Ito Of catcrpiIlars IS FUN d interest. and
vii. VOL repay any one who takes % "a.
The two principal objects OF caterpillar
life are 10 eat aud escape being eaten. lie
enemies are numerous ana vigilant and
Include lnsectVorous birds and anima ls
other insects. fungi disease. the elements
and man Tho devices hy which caterpil ars
protect themselves are many and curious.
but this is not the only interesting side
Of the subject Their feeding habits are
often interesting and so are their tenn
pefs u is very enter aiming 90 watch a
caterpillar with rot temper. Tor cater
pillars az well as men have temDers
which range from zero 90 white heat.
] will begin wi b "a butf rfy catcrplllar
which Is common on willows and poplars
The parent b. Basilarchia archippua. Of
ton called the viccroy The pale. whitish
eggs are laid on tho extreme tips Of the
willow and popular leaves con the upper
surface The caterpillar. when Matching
bites "a 9lt under the crown of the exc,
leaving a hinge on one side Through this
trap door ~ makes its exit IL then attacks
the iepf cut'irE o. down on each side OF
the midrih. ana incidentally devours the
erg-sheu on the way II eats from each
side strght 90 tho midrlb which Is soon
laft sticking out Ike a thread from the
square end % the lsaf After each meal r.
rc.ires 90 the fp ot this perch. where ~
remains mot.onless until - Is hungry
again The caterpillar spins great deal
OF six wherever % goes. and the perch
soon become 80 covered as 20 prevent
Z. from curling as Dr. dries. After few
meals the caterpillar. instead of begin
ming on tho eaten edge 81 the leaf begins
farther back and eats channel 20 the
midrih The Hap 81 leaf thus Isolated IS
then cut through ~ the base. ana fal Is
under rho perch. where n is held los the
silk Thus. go time packet ~ bits OF
leaf is aCcumul ucd under the base 81 the
perch. aud. from the very manner Of its
formation. is kept near tho eaten edge OF
tho leaf This s. "A neat little contrivance
for getting the caterpillar from birds
The rsckcts. waving In the breeze. at
tracts the binds attention. aud the cater
pillar out at the end OF the perch, escapes
notice.
The catcrpnlars ~ the last brood Of the
season pass the winter about hair grown.
hut storm hove no torrors for them.
About the end OF August each ono sets
vigorously go work building hts winter
quarters or hlheguncula. a Leaf is cut
la the manner described above EN- about
two-thirds the length ~ the midrib Is
laid bare Then what remains OF the two
tides Is curlrd up INFO a tube with one end
opcn This tube Is ihoroIEhiy lined inside
and out with SILK which g. carried up the
stem Of the Leaf and around tho twig thus
preventing the leaf from failing. The cat
srpillar then Crawls head first into the
tube. ana the hrlstly. warty rings ~ the
end or tho body efcctually close the OPEN
iru 4 leaf b. usually selected close TO the
ground 50 that the insect IS kept warm
hv the snow IN the spring q is almost
impossible % 10 stinEuish these hibernacula
from the bursting buds around them.
This is ono OF the hot-tempeted cater
pnlars when Il Is touched or irritateh %
Iashes lis head from side 60 side IN the
most lively manner. IL IL ludicrous 20
see q head on" collision between two
caterpll'nrs when they meet each one
sets his head ga motion. ana az about
every stroke the heads crash together
The moro they crash the augrier their
owner get and hy tho time they come 10
terms each caterpillar must have seen a
pretty fair-sizod mctcoric shower.
This caterpillar. one Of the most in
tcrestng We have. Is easily Kept and
watched As long as tho leaves are fresh
they do NOT wander. and can be kept on
IA spray Of willow iu a bottle. The eggs
and cntCrpillars are easily found, the for
mer on the tips Of tne leaves and the lat
ter can be detected by the peculiar way
iu which the leaves arc cut Tho eggs
have been extremely abundant all through
August. but few will be found after the
first week in September.
Bees create great havoc among these
caterpillar 4 shor. while ago ] had
about two dozen cascrpihars Just from the
egg breeding ON a email willow IN the
yard when the bees found % out they
took all but four or i've in ono day. Since
then thcy have examined the tree
Thoroughly every day taking all the cater
pillars they can get.
Another interesting caterpillar IL that Of
tho Puss Moth also found on willow.
These are black and furry, and the head,
from above looks very much like cats
head IN shape. The most prominent things
IA hous IL are two long slender whips az tho
end OF the last ring When O. parasite
or anyihlrg else disturbs the caterpillar
h Immediately gets good thtashinE
Each % these whips has a long. hnc lash
slowed away inside and when tho cater
nllar euria the whips up over its hack u
nourish,s these lashes Ia a vigorous man
uer
The common Parsley Worm. Panllo
o.icriae has Two different m ans of de-
fence n one BE- examined, black Velvety
slit is seen just Aehiud the head. When
disturbed IL thrusts a pair Of N-shoped
aeFh- cnlorcd "horn-" or sccnt-organs
from this slit These give ont peculiar
% 1r which is supposed 20 drive away enc
miles. but 70 Be- not always effective. for
large Ichneumon-fy Option macrurum.
laws lts eggs on the caterpillar in spite
Of tie protests Its second means Of pro-
lection lies IN its color. II ss very con-
spicinous when feeding OUT on the leaves.
hut in its usual position. down among the
stems OF tho plant the black and green
stripes bear such a resemblance 70 the