132 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



are most addicted, after that of Z. chrysomallus, are those of the Ambly- 

 podia and Tajuria groups, those of Arrhopala and Rapala being nearly as 

 bad. He has known one larva of Tajuria cippus, Fabr., to eat up over a 

 dozen young ones of its own species. In Kashmir Mr. Bell bred a single 

 imago of Hysudra se/ira, Moore, from a larva which had been reared on 

 the dead leaves and flowers of its food-plant, Indigofcra atropurpurea, 

 Hamilt. (Natural Order Leguminosae), together with several newly-formed 

 pupae of its own species. The imago was a very fine, large specimen, so 

 that the insect diet evidently agreed with the larva. Mr. Bell particularly 

 noticed this fact, as in all his previous experience he had been led to the 

 conclusion that a cannabal diet was bad for the stomachs of the larva? 

 practising the habit of eating up their fellows, as they, as a general rule, 

 have not been healthy, and have died before pupating. 



" The tendency to cannibalism is not confined to the Lyavnidce, but 

 exists also amongst the Pierinw ; the larvae of Appias will eat each other 

 and any other species of larva feeding on the same food-plant as them- 

 selves, if forced to it by hunger. He has seen the larvae of Appias liby- 

 t/iea, Fabr., and A. taprobana, Moore, eat freshly-formed pupae of their 

 own species, as well as larvae changing their skins, and also the larva? and 

 pupa? of Leptosia xiphia, Fabr. Some of the caterpillars of the DanaincB 

 will, when food is not to be had, eat individuals of their own species. 



" Mr. Bell has never known a larva to eat another larva feeding on 

 a food-plant of a species different from its own, so it is probable that all 

 larvae taste strongly of the plant they feed on, and it is also probable that 

 cannibal larva? are hardly conscious that they are eating up each other, 

 being only guided to their proper food by the sense of taste, or possibly to 

 a less extent by the sense of smell. None of the larvae of the Satyrince, 

 E/ymuiince, Amat/iusiince, Acnciuce, Nyniphaiince,Libyt/iceince, Nemeobiince, 

 Papilio/ii/ice* or Hespcriidce have been found by Mr. Bell to eat anything 

 but vegetable food. All rhopalocerous larva?, however, with but very few 

 exceptions, eat their own cast-off skins while these are still soft and moist; 

 and the young larva? on emerging from the egg will almost invariably, 

 under normal conditions, make their first meal off the empty egg-shell. 

 He notes that all the butterfly larvae he has bred change their skins five 

 times from the time they leave the egg to the time they turn to pupa?." 



*The larva- of Papilio philenor, Linn., whose food-plant is Aristolochia sipho, 

 have been known to devour their comrades in captivity when supplies ran short. — Ep. 



