Prev | Current Page 140 | Next

Stratton-Porter, Gene, 1863-1924

"Moths of the Limberlost"


Living pupae can be had in the fall, by turning a few shovels of
soil close vegetables in any country garden. In the mellow
mould, among cabbages and tomato vines, around old log cabins close
the Limberlost swamp, they are numerous, and the emerging moths
haunt the sweet old-fashioned flowers.
The moth named Celeus, after a king of Eleusis, certainly has
kingly qualities to justify the appellation. The colouring is
all grey, black, brown, white and yellow, and the combinations are
most artistic. It is a relative of Lineata. It flies and feeds by
day, has nearly the same length of life, and is much the same in
shape.
The head is small and sharp, eyes very much larger than Lineata,
and tongue nearly four inches in length. The antennae are not
clubbed, but long and hairlike. It has the broad shoulders, the
long wings, and the same shape of abdomen. The wings, front and
back, are so mottled, lined, and touched with grey, black, brown
and white, as to be almost past definite description. The back
wings have the black and white markings more clearly defined.


Pages:
128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152