THE BANKSIA MOTH, 121 



CHAPTER LIX. 



THE BANKSIA MOTH. 



{^Danima banksice^ Lew.). 



Order : Lepidoptera. Family : Notodontida>. 



This moth, the larva of which is most destructive, 

 especially to the young baiiksias (native honeysuckle), is 

 found plentifully in the Oakleigh, Brighton, and other 

 districts situated within a few miles of Melbourne. The 

 full-grown larvae (see Fig. 1), which are here represented 

 as feeding upon the leaves, are of a brown colour, Avitli 

 singular markings of black and white which are some- 

 what porcelain-like in appearance, are of the same size as 

 those on our figure, and, when touched, have a peculiar 

 habit of jerking their heads back towards the body (see 

 Fig. y.) The eggs are deposited on the leaves, often 

 upon the thin twigs of the food plant, and upon hatching 

 out the tiny grubs commence feeding upon the leaves ; 

 thev rapidlv increase in size, and are destroyers of certain 

 trees, especially when the latter are growing near the 

 coast, their favorite food being the leaves of the common 

 banksia, B. australis., but they will, no doubt, tackle 

 other trees as well. The mouth of the perfect insect has 

 a strong pair of almost hidden mandibles, with which the 

 foliage of the trees are often entirely stripped. 



The pupa (see Fig. II.) is chestnut brown in colour, and 

 is the size of our figure. When the larva} are full fed 

 they descend to the ground, burying themselves in the 

 earth, usually sandy soil, and then cliange to the imago 

 or perfect insect. The moth (see Figs. III. and IV.) are 

 very handsome, being of a soft-grey colour, with l)lack 

 and white markings, the former colour l)eing somewhat 



