244 



THE LIFE-HISTORY OF APAUSTUS LA SCI VI A, 



ROSENSTOCK. 



JBy G. a. Waterhouse. 



Apaustus lascivia, Rosenstock, Ann. Mag. ISTcat. Hist. (5), 

 xvi. (1885), p. 378, PI. XI. fig. 1. 



In January of the present year it was my good fortune to find 

 at Rose Bay the larvse of a small skipper, of whose life-history I 

 can find no record. The larvae were found feeding on a grass, 

 Im,perata arundinacea. Each larva conceals itself by uniting the 

 edges of the lea\-es so as to form a sheath, inside which it 

 remains. When feeding, which is usually at night, it protrudes 

 its head just outside this sheath and nibbles the edges of it, 

 When one of these sheaths is eaten up, the larva makes another 

 retreat. The larva, when full grown, is one inch in length, being 

 pale green in colour ; the two segments nearest the head are 

 smallest. When half-grown the head is totally black, but when 

 full grown is very light brown with the black V-shaped marking 

 common to the larvae of this family and a black ring round the 

 outer edge of the head. The larva when full grown constructs a 

 sheath similar to the one it feeds in, closes up both ends and 

 casts its skin. The pupa is at first a pale olive-green, gi-adually 

 turning a light brown. The wings change colour first. The 

 pupa is about half an inch long. It usually remains in the pupal 

 state from ten to twelve days. This butterfly is ver}^ common in 

 February, when hundreds may be seen. It is found in gullies 

 wherever its food-plant occurs, being very plentiful in Double 

 Bay Gully. 



Mr. Olliff has described and figured* the details of the life- 

 history of another species of this genus, A. agraiilia, Hewitson, 

 its food-plant being couch grass. 



When I bred this insect I also bred another skipper, but I 

 hesitate to give its life-history, as I have not yet determined it 

 specifically, the nomenclature of the Sesperidcs being very con- 

 fused at present. 



* Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (5), 1888, p. 360, PI. xx. figs. 8w, Zh. 



