52 PJaOCEEDIJ^GS OP THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



LEPIDOPTEKA. 



Amatid^ (Syntomid^). 



Euchromia polymena, Linn. 



Hmpsn., F. I., I, 227, f. 143, Cat. I, 297-299, f. 137 ; I. I. L., 



p. 434, t. 34, f. 6 ; Entl. Note 61 ; Proc. Second Entl. Meeting, 



p. 291. 



This species has been leported by the Entomological Assistant, 



Travancore, as an occasional minor pest of sweet potato, destroying the 



leaves. It was also found by Green at Peradeniya in January 1903 



defoliating various garden varieties of IpomcBa. 



It is widely distributed within our limits. We have it froiQ Bassein 

 Fort (Bombay), Dacca, Eangpur, and Coimbatore. 

 Mr. Pillay. The eggs are laid on the leaf and the whole life-history is passed 



on the leaf. It is not so common on the cultivated sweet potato as on 

 the wild variety, but it does do some damage. 



[Amata jmssalis, Fb.] 



Syntomis passalis, Hmpsn., F. I. Moths, I, 219, Cat. Phal. I, 86. 

 Amata passalis, Hmpsn., Cat. Phal. Suppl. I, 13. 



Mr. Pillay. In Travancore we found Syntomis jjossalis this year on Vigna catjang- 



There were only two or three caterpillars on each plant. 

 Syntomis passalis is common in Quilon, Travancore. 



On the 31st of August at about 7-30 a.m. a female adult was found 

 resting on the stem of a coconut palm at a height of say 3 feet above 

 the ground-level. There were a few male moths flying about this 

 female probably for mating. At 8 a.m. one of the males mated with 

 this female. Mating was done end to end. While these were in cop. 

 another male came and attempted to mate the female under observation. 

 Finding it is impossible he also left the place. At 2 p.m. the male severed 

 its connection. At about 5 p.m. on 31st of August the moth commenced 

 to lay eggs and the major portion of the eggs was laid by the next morning. 

 This female continued to lay eggs till the 3rd of September. 



The eggs were laid on the sides and bottom of the cage in 2 layers 

 one over the other. The egg is soft and round without any ornamenta- 

 tions. The colour of the egg is white when newly laid. The total number 

 of eggs laid by this single female was 258. The first lot of eggs laid on 

 the 31st of August changed colour to dark and at about 11-30 a.m. on 

 6th September 1918, eggs hatched and the young larvae commenced to 

 come out. The top portion of the eggs before hatching became darker 

 still. The young larvae came out of the lids on the top portion of the eggs. 



