Some Eggs of Moths Among the Sphingidae, Saturniidae, and Citheroniidae (Lepidoptera)

Since 1961 the author has published a series of papers on eggs of moths in THE FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGIST. To date papers have appeared on types of eggs among moths (1961), and eggs of the Geometridae (1962), Amatidae, Arctiidae and Notodontidae (1963a), Pyralidae and Phycitidae (1963b), Noctuidae (1964a), and Olethreutidae and Tortricidae (1965). This report describes some egg types seen among three well known families of the Macrolepidotera-Sphingidae, Saturniidae and Citheroniidae. The adults in these three families are generally moderate to very large moths. They produce large eggs deposited singly or in clusters. McDunnough (1938) records 107 species for Sphingidae, 42 species for Saturniidae, and 29 species for Citheroniidae. The author has seen the eggs of 14 species of Sphingidae, 7 species of Saturniidae, and 4 species of Citheroniidae. Most of these are figured. The majority of the eggs described in this publication came from gravid females captured in traps located below black-light lures or taken from a white cloth adjacent to a light lure. Captured females were placed singly in medium to large size polyethylene or paper bags or in paper-lined wide mouth quart or two-quart glass jars covered with gauze. Egg depositories, such as plant foliage, rough or smooth light colored paper, pieces of bark, and other objects were included in some of the containers. Some moths were very active in confinement and shed many of their scales. The adhesive eggs deposited by the moths were often coated with shed scales. To reduce the number of scales adhering to the eggs, the wings of the female were sometimes cut off near their attachments. This amputation did not materially reduce the number of eggs deposited. Some unknown eggs were found in the field on plant foliage. These were held until they hatched and the larvae were fed the foliage on which they had been deposited until they became large enough to identify to family, genus, or species. Some large saturniids or citheroniids may deposit eggs on various inert objects, such as wire screens, painted wood, and other places. For more details concerning techniques used in this study consult previous papers by the author published in THE FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGIST since 1960, and Entomological Techniques, How to Work with Insects, 10th edition (Peterson 1964b). All figures are top views of eggs resting on a given substrate. The explanation of each figure includes the scientific name, the common name (Laffoon 1960), egg color and color changes, chorion consistency, and other significant facts. The egg sizes, given in millimeters, are the greatest length, width and depth, especially when the eggs are somewhat disc-like.