OflSEKVAtlONS ON TIlE GENUS CATOCALA. 



289 



wings more dcvelnpcd, iiiid tlie iimcr l)aud ou the liiiid-wiug-heiii,^- miieh 

 indented and ending tibru})tly in tlie wing area, and not extending to 

 tile inner margin, as it does in C. elocata. 



C. electa. — The ova are of the nsual form, Ijnt mcjre i)ointed tiiun 

 tliose of ( '. niipta. Tliey measure about -045 in. in diameter. Tlio 

 vertical ribs are very irreguhir in nundjer, from 'MS to -i-l, but evidently 

 they are generally more numerous than those of either C elocata or 

 C. nupta. The micropyle is smaller, and not so flat as in the two 

 former species, the cells being smaller. The lateral ribs are very tine 

 and regular. The ova are readily distinguished from those of C. elocata 

 and C. nupta, by being less depressed, lighter in colour, and with more 

 vertical ribs. 



The larvtc emerge during April, when they measure about -25 in., and 

 much reseml)le those of C. nupta. The head is yellow, as m tlie latter, but 

 the ])ody is of a more pale greenish tint, the sides being somewhat darker. 

 In the second iiistar the larva meastires about o in. It now diifers con- 

 siderably from the larvic of C. elocata and C nupta, the colours being very 

 pronounced. The grotmd-colour is of a pale yellowish-gTeen, but this is 

 almost confined to the dorsal stripe, as several broad black bands rim 

 along each side, which are so close together as to be hardly separated. 

 The posterior trapezoidals are somewhat larger than the other tubercles, 

 all Ijeing jet black. The prologs ou the 3rd and 4th abdominals are 

 still practically rudimentary, and do not seem to be used. There is 

 very little trace of the hump on the 5tli alxlominal. On moulting for 

 the second time the larva measures nearly an inch. The ground- 

 colour is pale yellow, Ijut it is so thickly sprinkled with black dots 

 that very little of the ground-colour is left. There is a broad greenish- 

 yellow dorsal stripe down the back. The hump is now developed ou 

 the 5th al)dominal, though small. It is pale yellow, sin-roimded by a 

 ring of Ijlack. All the tubercles, except the posterior trapezoidals, are 

 small, the latter on the 8th and 0th abdominals forming small ridges. 

 They are all orange coloured. The head and legs are red-ljrown, the 

 former having a Jjlack streak on each lobe, and the face finely reticu- 

 lated with black. The prolegs are fully developed on the 3rd and 4th 

 abdominals, but smaller than those on the 5th and 6th. The larva, 

 in this, and in fixct in all the remaining, later, stages, is strikingly 

 handsome. The gi'een dorsal stripe, blue-black sides, specialised hump, 

 red head, legs and prolegs, and orange tubercles, forming brilliant 

 contrasts. Ventrally it is lemon-yellow, with the spots very large. 

 In the fourth instar the larva is, if anytliing, even handsomer than in 

 tile last; the whole ground-colour is beautifully variegated, pale yellow, 

 dusted all over witii minute jet-])lack dots, which latter arrange themselves 

 in irregular longitudinal lines. There is a somewhat paler dorsal stripe 

 along tlie l)ack. The head, legs, prolegs and tubercles are all orange- 

 red, the head having the usual streak ou the lobes, and the face marked 

 with black. Both the anterior and posterior trapezoidals are well 

 developed, the latter, however, being somewhat larger. The laterals 

 are very small. The hump is bright lemon-yellow at the apex, sur- 

 rounded l)y a ring of black, and there is a transverse orange-brown I )and 

 immediately behind it. In this instar it has hardly any traces of the 

 lateral fringe, there being one or two hairs at the juncti<m of the seg- 

 ments only. In the otli instar it measures from 2 to 2-5 in. The head 

 is reddish-orange, with faint Ijlaek marking. The ground pattern of 



