T R A N S A C T I 0 N S

OF THE

E N T O M O L O G I C A L S O C I E T Y O?

LON D 0 N. --

I. Notice of a Sackbearing Bombyx, found by Mr. Bates B y EDWARD NEWMAN, near Santarern, in the Amazons.

Imp. L. C . Acad. Memb., F.L.S., &c.

[Read April 3rd, 1854.1

As a preliminary observation I take the liberty of remarking that in arranging the following notes I have in no instance mingled de- finitions that may possibly belong to different objects. Each de- scription of larva, pupa or imago is made directly from an indivi- dual, and has no reference whatever to any other description published or unpublished.

The genus Succophora was proposed by Dr. Harris, the well- known American Entomologist, in a letter addressed to our late inestimable Secretary, Mr. Edward Doubleday, and published by that excellent Lepidopterist in “The Entomologist” for May, 1841 ; it was founded on a single species, which Dr. Harris then called Succophora Metsheimeri, in honour of Dr. Melsheimer, who was the first to find its cocoon and record observations on its habits. ‘‘ I propose,” says Dr. Harris, ‘‘ to call the genus Succghoru, and the species Melsheimeri.”

Subsequently Dr. Harris, in his admirable Treatise on Insects Injurious to Vegetation, published in 1842, gives the same insect a second generic name, namely, Perophoru. “ I call it,” writes Dr. Harris, “ Perophorn Melsheimerii, Melsheimer’s sackbearer.” No allusion whatever is made to the earlier name. The name of Perophoru will certainly be adopted in the United States, as

VOL. III. N. s. PART I.-JULY, 1854. B

2 Mr. E. Newman’s Notice of

that given by the author who instituted the genus, and it seems courteous to follow him, under the supposition that he had a suf- ficient reason for renouncing the prior name.

T h e second species was found in May, 1853, by my friend Mr. Bates, in the Valley of the Amazons, and I propose to name it after that indefatigable collector, as an humble tribute to his untiring zeal.

Genus PEROPHORA, Harris.

Imago.-Maxillz obsoletac ; palpi maxillares nulli; palpi la- hiales breves, porrecti, squamosi; antennae basi approximatae, breviores, subgeniculatz, i. e. articulo basali incrassato, yor- recto, caeteris divaricatis, 44-articulatae, bipectinatae, a l m o ad 1 lum ramulis longitudine sensim crescentibus, inde ad 25um sensim descrescentibus, caeteris paribus, brevissimis, omnibus ciliatis : sexuum amborum alae amplae, anticae subfalcatae, pos- ticac abdomine breviores : maris abdomen manifesto bifur- catum.

Larva involucro mobili foliis constriicto vitam deget : involucrum trahit : folia devorat.

Pupa involucro, apice affixo, mutat.

Sp. 1. Perophora Melsheimerii. Tota pallide rubro-cinerea vel isabellina: alis punctis minutis

nigris undique irroratis, fasci% lineari fiisc% communi obliquA ante anticarum apicem retrorsum angulatg, punctoque majori nigrescenti mediano signatis.

Saccophora Melsheimeri, Harris, ‘6 Entomologist,” p. 101. Perophora Melsheimerii, Harris, “ Insects Injurious to Vegeta-

Hab. Sylvis apud Cambridge (Mass.), Americae Septentrionalis, tion,” 1st ed. p. 299 ; Id. 2nd ed. p. 319.

larva involucro vitam degens, Quercuum folia devorans.

Larva of Perophora Melsheimerii, of Harris. A case of this insect, containing a living caterpillar,was brought

to Dr. Harris, towards the end of September, by a student of Harvard College, Mr. H. 0. White, who found it on an oak tree in Cambridge. This case was nearly an inch and a half long, and about half an inch in diameter. I t was not regularly oval, but

a 8ackbearing Bombyx. 3

somewhat flattened on its lower side. I t consisted externally of two oblong oval pieces of a leaf, fastened together in the neatest manner by.their edges, but the seams made a little ridge on each side of the case; this had become dry and faded, and was lined within with a thick and tough layer of brownish silk, in which there was left a t each end a circular opening, just big enough for the larva to pass through. The larva was cylindrical, of a light reddish brown colour, with a paler line along the back; it was rough, with little elevated points; its head and the top of the first ring were black, hard and rough also. T h e head was provided with a pair of jointed feelers, which the insect extended and drew in a t pleasure, and which, when they were out, were kept in continual motion. On each side of the middle of the head there was a black and flexible organ, like an antenna, very slender where it joined the head, and broader towards the end, like the handle of a spoon. T h e first three pairs of legs were equal in length, and armed with stout horny claws. T h e other legs, if such they could be called, were ten in number, and so short that only the oval soles of the feet were visible, and these were surrounded by numerous minute hooks. T h e anal extremity of the body was as blunt as if it had been cut off with a knife; it sloped a little backwards, and consisted of a circular horny plate, of a dark gray colour, which, when the larva retired within its case, exactly fitted and closed one of the holes. This larva ate the leaves of the oak, and fed mostly by night; while eating it protruded half its body out of its case, and in moving laid hold of the leaf with its fore legs, and then shortened its body suddenly, so as to bring its case after i t with a j e r k ; and in this way it went by jerks from place to place. When it had done eating it moored its case to a leaf by a few silken threads fastened to one, and sometimes to both ends; and before moving again, it came out and bit off these threads, close to the case. I t could turn round easily within its case, and go out of either end as occasion required. So tenaciously did it cling to the inside of its case with the little hooks of its false feet, that all attempts to make it come wholly out, except by a force which would have been fatal to the insect, were without effect.

Pupa of Perghora Melsheimerii. This kind of caterpillar prepares for transformation by fasten-

ing both ends of its cocoon to a branch, and then stops up each of the holes in it with a little circular silken lid, exactly fitting

B 2

4 Mr. E. Newman’s Notice of

the orifice, and made about the thickness of common brown paper. There is no great difference in the size or form of the chrysalids which produce the male and female moths ; they are about three-quarters of an inch in length; on both of them the sheaths for the wings, antennae and legs are alike, and are as plainly to be seen as on the chrysalids of other winged moths. The chrysalis tapers very little, and does not end with a point, but is blunt behind ; and on the edge of each of the rings of the back there is a transverse row of little pointed teeth, which shut into corresponding notches in the ring immediately behind them. These teeth are evidently designed to enable the chrysalis to move towards the mouth of its case, and to hold with when it is engaged in forcing off the lid in order to allow of the escape of the moth.

Imago of Peiophora Melsheimerii. Both sexes leave their cocoons when arrived at maturity,

and both are provided with wings. Their feelers are of moderate size, cylindrical, blunt, pointed, and thickly covered with scales. T h e tongue is not visible. Their antennae are curved, and are recurved or bent upwards at the point ; the stalk is feathered in a double row, on the underside, very widely in the males for more than half its length, and beyond the middle the feathery fringe is suddenly narrowed, and tapers thence to the t ip; in the females the antennae are also doubly feathered, but the fringe is narrower throughout than in the other sex. T h e body and the wings almost exactly resemhle those of the foreign silk- worm moth in shape; but the fore wings are rather more pointed and hooked a t the tip. There are no bristles and hooks to hold together the wings, which, when a t rest, cover the sides like a sloping roof, and the front edge of the hind wings does not pro- ject beyond that of the fore wings.

T h e neuration of the wings is very different from the typical Bombycidcz, at least from that of the large Suturnia. The costal nervure is faint, and terminates on the costal edge a t two-thirds length of the wings. Sub-costal throws off its first and second nervures before the end of the cell; the second nervure being the strongest vein in the costal part of the wing. The upper disco- cellular nervure is very short and nearly transverse to the wing; the middle is of the same length as the lower ; the middle imper- fect in its middle part, the lower perfect. The maxillae are ap- parently wanting, and the middle spurs of the hind tibiae are im- perceptible, showing that the character, together with the an-

a Sackbearing Bombyx. 5

tennae, are more constant for the larger groups of Lepidoptera than the wing neuration, which in the Bonrbycidm varies much.

I cannot find that Dr.Harris mentions in what month the imago made its appearance in Massachusetts : Mr. Edward Doubleday took both sexes in Virginia in July.

Sp. 2. Perophora Batesii. Tota testacea : oculis nigris, alis piinctis nigris irroratis, fasci$

lineari, saturatiori, communi, obliqua ante anticarum apicem retrorsum angulatd, lunulaque apert$ centrali, signatis.

Corp. long. 8 -9 unc.; 9 1.1 unc. Alar. dilat. 8 1.4 unc.; p 2.2 unc.

Hab. Sabuletis apud Santarem Americae Meridionalis larva in- volucro vitam degens, Byrsominarum et Melastomarum folia de- vorans.

Larva of Perophora Batesii.-The larva is enclosed in a some- what spindle-shaped case, which has a circular aperture a t each end: it is constructed of portions of two leaves joined together along the sides with admirable nicety ; a slight seam is visible, but it is almost impossible to detect the mode in which the junc- tion is effected. T h e head and dorsal surface of the protho- rax are black and rough; the dorsal surface of the meso- an? metathorax are yellow, with two longitudinal black vittae ; the abdomen is ovate and bulky, of a yellowish or olivaceous colour above, and sprinkled or marbled with dusky atoms, and a yellow vitta running along each side just below the stigmata. The under surface of the head, three thoracic and two next following abdo- minal segments is black, that of the remaining abdominal segments is a ruddy flesh colour. There are six thoracic legs as usual, and ten very short prolegs or claspers, viz. a pair on the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and anal segments. Mr. Bates found a considerable number of these larvae in their cases, each attached by two or three strong threads to the leaves of low bushes of Byrsoniin~e and Melastomae, and also to blades of grass in open sandy situations, near Santarem, in May last, towards the end of the rainy season.

Pupa of Perophora Bate&-Mr. Bates records that the trans- formations of the pupa are completed within the case, but he gives no description of the pupa ; neither does he seem to have trans- mitted one for examination.

G Mr. E. Newman’s Notice of

Imago of Perophom Batesii.

Male.-Antennz short, bipectinate, the first joint (scape of Kirby) large and expanding outwards into a cup, the opening of which is placed obliquely with the head, and to its centre the second joint is attached, and this, as well as the remaining joints, is directed outwards, so that the antennae may be said to be geni- culated at the first joint : the remaining joints are forty-four in number ; their branches gradually increase in length from the 1 st to the 1 l th , and then as gradually decrease to the 25th ; the rest are uniformly short, all the branches are delicately ciliated to their extremity. Eyes prominent, black, marbled with brown. Maxillae apparently wanting. Palpi minute, closely appressed and entirely concealed by the somewhat projecting face. Thorax simple, without any crest ; abdomen tapering, rather longer than the hind wings, terminating in two long, hirsute parallel porrected processes. Legs short, protibiae densely clothed with long setiform scales ; joints of tarsi cup-shaped ; claws stout, short, strongly uncinate ; spurs not observable, probably wanting.

I;inzale.-Antcnnae as in the male, but the cilia of the branches less distinct, and the branches themselves somewhat shorter ; pal pi somewhat more produced, their apex observable from above. Eyes slightly smaller than in the male, black and beau- tifully reticulated ; each area of the reticulation includes from fifty to one hundred facets; possibly the mode of killing may have caused the appearance of the eyes in both sexes. Legs as in the male, but the protibiae not so densely clothed. Abdomen robust, longer than the hind wings; its apex undivided, but there is a short tuft on each side.

Male and female much alike, both amply winged, but the wings of the female more ample than those of the male; fore wings subfalcate, the apical wings acute, their anal angle obtuse, their outer margin sinuate ; hinder wings rather short, their outer angle rounded, their anal acute and slightly produced, their outer margin sinuate. The entire colour of body and wings testaceous and sprinkled over with minute black dots, each of which is composed of a single scale, differently shaped from the rest. There is a transverse linear angulatcd fascia common to both wings, and of a darker colour ; this commences on the costa of the upper wings, a t about two-thirds of its length, and runs diagonally towards the outer margin, but before it has reached half the distance between its origin and the margin, it turns backwards at a right angle, and then traverses both wings in a direct line, ceasing on the ab-

a Sackbearing Bombyx. 7

dominal margin of the lower, about half way between its base and anal angle ; within the angle of this fascia, and near the centre of the tipper wing, is an open, rather indistinct, lunule.

Although I feel that it would be an act of presumption on my part to attempt to locate this curious genus, after such eminent Lepidopterists as Dr. Harris and Edward Doubleday have de- clined doing so, still I may venture to call the attention of the Society to a few characters which are as strongly pronounced as they are remarkable for their conflicting nature.

In the first place, it seems almost impossible, on a cursory exa- mination of Mr. Wing’s admirable sketches of the larva in its case, not to be struck with its great similarity to that of the Psy- chides. The larva of Psyche Villosella, of Ochsenheimer, Herrich- Schaeffer and Bruand, found by Mr. Dale on Parley Heath, offers points of similarity that at the first blush seem almost conclusive : not only is the general character as regards figure, the short pro- legs, the structure of the anal segment, &c. very similar in the two, but the distribution of colour, the roughness and blackness of the head and prothorax, and the vittated meso-and metathorax, are very nearly identical.

T h e pupa, judging from Dr. Harris’s very minute description, possesses a character distinctive of a very different section of the Bonibyces : the abdominal segments are banded with a series of minute claw-like processes, which make it rough to the touch, and by means of which the insect can force its way out of the case, cocoon, gallery, or other situation, in which its unerring instinct may have placed it ; such a character I find in Xyleutes, Zeuzera, Hepialus, Bgeria, and Trochilium.

T h e Imago has several characters, which are not only conflict- ing with tliose of the preparatory state, but which are also con- flicting among them; thus the antennae of the male greatly resemble those of the male Zeuzeru, those of the female differing from those of the female Zeuzeru; and the venation of the wings in both sexes differing entirely from that of Zeuzeru. The divided and divaricating extremity of the abdomen in the male is a marked and notable character : this character gives its name to Edward Doubleday’s genus Schizuru (Entomologist, p. 59) , and the de- scription of the male antennae in Schizura closely agrees with the male antennae in Perophora, while the female antennae totally differ in the two genera ; those of Perophoru being pectinated, those of Schizura setaceous. I n Lochmaus, Heterocampa, and other American Bombyces, we find points of similarity and discre- pancy equally conflicting. Heteroca9npa, in very many charac-

8 Mr. E. Newman's Notice of a Sackbearing Bombyx.

ters, approaches Ceruru, and its tapering abdomen, raised when a t rest, suggests a close afinity to that genus; but Abbott, whose drawings of Georgian Lepidopterous larvae are worthy of all praise, represents a larva of this genus grasping a twig of Styrax grandifolium with anal prolegs : the species to which this belongs is known, but has not received a name. As far as regards the male antennae, the palpi and the maxillae, Perophora closely approaches Heterocampa, but nothing can be more discordant than the two larvae. Dr. Harris very properly contrasts the genus with Dryocampa and Oiketicos, but concludes that it has but slender affinities with either. The characters of Locknaczus, Hete- rocantpa and Schizura had not been published when Dr. Harris studied the insect in 1840 ; and his work of 1852 does not tnen- tion them, perhaps considering the object of that work rather utilitarian than scientific.

Among British insacts, the nearest approach we have to Pero- phora is the perfect female of Odonestis potntoria ; the similarity extends to colour, distribution of marking, and venation of wings ; but the antennae and palpi are very different ; the male of pota- toria has, like that of Perophora, a bifid apex to the abdomen. These slight resemblances are, however, more than balanced by the total discrepancy between the larvae of the two genera.

T h e result of these observations seems rather to be that Lepi- dopterists are right in grouping together the infinitely varied genera of Bornbyces ; since they show that the characters are intimately interwoven, crossing each other a t a vast number of points, like the threads of which a net may be constructed ; but I think that the difficulty of reconciling or harmonizing these peculiarities to such an extent, as to obtain anything approaching to a perfectly natural linear series of the objects themselves, is quite insuperable. I may also venture to express an opinion, derived from a very careful study of Bruand's admirable Monograph of the Psychides, that the connexion of Perophoru with that interesting group is not so close as the prim& facie characters of the larvae would lead one to suppose.

EXPLANATION O F PLATE I. Fig. 2. Perophora Raksii, 8 .

20, head and antenna of male ; 2 h, portion of antenna of male mag- nified ; 2 c, abdominal appendages of male.

Fig. 3 . Perophma Batesii, 9 .

Figs. 4, 5, 6 , Perophma Batesii, larva. Fig. 7 . Venation of wing.

3a, antenna of female.