xMOTHS. 319 



It received its name from the Bugong Mountains, 

 where it appeared at one time in countless thou- 

 sands. Such abnormal numbers were noticed about 

 Sydney in 1905, when the inside walls of many 

 public buildings were literally black with them; 

 particularly was this so in many of the churches 

 of the Illawarra suburbs. The same year, in the 

 Maitland district, these Bugong moths were met 

 with on the farming land in innumerable companies, 

 apparently having just emerged from the pupal 

 state. The quantity of eggs deposited by these 

 insects is enormous. 



The bean moth (Pliisia verticellata) is perhaps 

 more familiar than the Bugong moth. It measure-i 

 1| inches across the wings. The front pair is of 

 a bronze tint, marbled with silver and purplish grey ; 

 the hind pair is brown edged with a slightly 

 lighter-coloured fringe. The moths may be found 

 during the daytime hiding among the leaves oi! 

 beans, peas, or potatoes. If these plants are 

 shaken, quite a number of the insects will fly up ; 

 ; then if the under surfaces of the leaves are ex- 

 ; amined, one is almost certain of finding the tiny 

 j eggs attached to them. 



The pale green larva, which tapers toward the 

 head, assumes somewhat the form of a *'Looper. " 

 Three pairs of walking legs are present — two pairs 

 of prolegs and a pair of claspers. When it is 

 about to move forward it holds on to the plant 

 stem by the abdominal legs and claspers, then lifts 

 its head and fore part of the body, much as an 

 elephant does its trunk, and feels about in the air 



