NOTES OX THE EARLY STAGES OF DAPHNIS NERII. 249 



Notes on the early stages of Daphnis nerii. 



By H. POWELL. 



Towards the middle of September, 1904, young larvjB of Daphnis 

 nerii were fairly plentiful on cultivated oleander bushes in the Hyeres 

 district, and careful searching resulted in the finding of a dozen eggs. 

 The strong, fresh shoots, which come out after a tree has been trimmed, 

 are evidently preferred by egg-laying females, and the eggs are deposited 

 singly on the upper surfaces of tender leaves near the growing points 

 of shoots low down on the tree. As a rule the fuUfed larvae are to be 

 found on the highest branches, but, on several occasions, I have found 

 them feeding upon succulent shoots springing from the trunk-base of 

 a trimmed tree, not far from the spot where they hatched out from the 

 egg. On September 15th I found an egg which had certainly not 

 been laid long before, and, on the following day (September 16th), I 

 went over the same bushes again and found four very fresh-looking 

 eggs which had been laid that night, for they were certainly not there 

 on the preceding day. They were in conspicuous positions, and I 

 could not have overlooked them. All but one were on the upper 

 surfaces of the leaves, the exception being on the underside of a leaf 

 which had been accidentally turned over. 



Description of egg. — Shape : roundish oval, slightly flattened on 

 the uppermost side, more so on the side glued to the leaf. Appear- 

 ance : shiny and opalescent. Colour: very pale green with a yellowish 

 tinge. Dimensions : greater horizontal axis l-65mm., lesser hori- 

 zontal axis I'Smm., vertical axis l-3mm. On September 19th a rather 

 large and nearly round concavity was noted as having formed on the 

 upperside of each egg. This depression is shallow. There is a distinct 

 level rim to it. The yellow tinge has increased, and is especially 

 pronounced at one end of the egg (this in every case). Before hatching 

 the eggs became still yellower. A microscopical ( x 40) examination 

 by lamp-light shows the whole surface pearly and very minutely 

 pitted. In strong daylight I can detect a faint and irregular network 

 of cells, independently of the shallow^ pits. The centre of each tiny pit 

 is raised, thus representing a mound surrounded by a ditch. Ail the 

 larvae from ova found on September IGth (laid during the night of 

 September I5th-16th) emerged on September 22nd. The egg state, 

 therefore, lasted 6^ days. 



Larva. — First stadium : From a specimen hatched on September 

 15th. The young larva measures 5"5mm., and its caudal horn (or 

 spike) is 3-5mm. in length. It is pale yellow; the spike, to begin with, 

 very pale grey, soon becoming black. Soon after commencing to 

 feed the body turns light green, but the head and last segment remain 

 yelloW'. Microscopic excuiiination : Head with a few brownish, white- 

 tipped hairs. It is shaped as in the final and all intermediate stages. 

 Body : Skin satiny, very minutely pitted. Down the dorsal centre 

 are a few very small hairs. The trapezoidal tubercles (i and ii) look like 

 little swellings under the skin. Each bears a short, straight, brown 

 hair, terminating in a small disc or knob. A similar hair grows from a 

 distinct supraspiracular tubercle (iii), and there are some minute supra- 

 spiracular hairs in addition to this. On the lateral margin, below the 

 spiracles, are two small tubercles with colourless setae. On the 

 meso- and metathoracic segments the subdorsal tubercles i and ii are 

 October 15th, 1905. 



