312 LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



extra thickening layer round this part. It pressed 

 its head continuously against the inside, until the 

 little structure bulged slightly at the top ; and later 

 it was a darker colour than the rest of the cocoon, 

 and we realised we had seen the operation of the 

 making of the ''cap" of the cocoon, which the 

 emerging adult pushes off. We watched this per- 

 foi-manee for 13 hours, and yet not till two days 

 later did the cocoon assume its natural greyisli- 

 Ijrown colour. Could we have continued to view 

 the inside of the cocoon we should have found that 

 the caterpillar remained in its larval state for 

 weeks, or perhaps months, before it pupated. 



Another larva under observation made its cocoon 

 just where the lid of the box in which it was 

 placed fitted over the box, so that when Ave opened 

 the box part of tlie cocoon was torn away with the 

 lid. Almost immediately the larva* set to work and 

 put a patch over the tear by spinning the threads 

 over and over till the rent was made wliole. 



Another cup moth is Limacodes longcrans, ''the 

 painted cup moth." The larva feeds on the leaves, 

 of Eucalyptus. The cocoon is perfectly elliptical,- 

 and resembles a bird's egg, for the upper end is 

 not outlined with a cap. One o£ these caterpillars 

 we had in a box erected a scaffolding of threadij 

 across the corner, and then made its little cocoon" 

 resting on the bottom of the box but away from the 

 sides; it was supported laterally by these "scaffold- 

 ing" threads. Shortly after the cocoon was finished 

 the threads broke away, and the cocoon stood free. 

 We found that this pupa was parasitised by little, 

 black wasps. One wasp was out in the box, and 

 six others were ready to emerge. 



