og Nord-Florge (WxM cm) - Norsk entomologisk forening

84 Olav Kvalheim
Observasjonene opphnrte den 19. august. Ved en feileks-
pedisjon ble larvene nedpakket og sendt med jernbanen ti1 Oslo
etter ferien. Utleveringen av gods som i normale kr tar noen
timer, tok denne gangen 6 dager. Ved framkomsten var samtlige
larver dade og mugne!
Summary.
From the 28th. of Mai to the 19th. of August the author has
observed the development of Sterrhu palUduta Schiff from egg
to full-grown larva, and gives here some details not yet published:
The eggs having an ovale shape (not cylindrical) were
deposited in freestanding rows from a joint base. As a rule the
colour turned darker (from green to black) as the time for the
arrival of the infant larva approached, and the eggs often were
hatched within 24 hours.
The larva may be described as having a 3 mm. long,
cylindrical body, dark brown of colour, apart from the last four
abdominal segments which were white. After S 4 weeks the
colour turned dark brown all over. The cylindrical form of the
body does not remain stable. Having a new moult at the age of
6-7 weeks the larva gets a flattened shape with des,tinct collateral
lines as all other full-grown larvae of the genus Sterrha.
In this case milfoil (Achilles millefolium) was chosen as
foodplant. The young larvae seemed to prefer halfrot parts of
the plant, later on they consumed fresh leaves. During the
grazing the larvae make use of the maxillas and thorax legs to
feed the jaws with loose bits of leaves. To remove the excrement
lumps from the rectum, they also make use of these remedies.
Excrements found on the leaves are consumed. The thorax legs
are occasionally employed as a cleaner of the jawparts. The full-
grown larva has a length of 16 mm.
In danger the larva stretches its body and keeps its head
upright for a long time. The 19th. of August the observations
were interrupted as the larvae were killed during a transportation.
I) Fr. Berge: Schmetterlingsbuch (Stuttgart 1910).
2, L. B. Prout: Geometridae in Seitz: Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde.
IV. Band (1915).
3, Spuler: Abriss der Geschichte der Schmetterlingskunde. S. XXIV
in: Die Schmetterlinge Europas. Band 1 (1908).
Nordstrom & ~ ahleen: ~venska Fjarilar (1941).
5, A. Klscker: Danmarks Fauna. Sornmerfugler 111 (1915).
V. Strsm: Danmarks stsrre Sommerfugle 1891).
7, Otto Habich: Lepidopterologische Beitrage. Stett. Ent. Zeitung.
S. 159. 53. Jahrg. (Stettin 1892).
R. Nordhagen: Norsk flora (1940).
e, V. Calmbach: Praktische Anleitung zur Prtiparation, Fang und
Zucht der Microlepidopteren (A. Kernen, Stuttgart 1923).