32 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. ^ 



Early Stages. — Larva. — The short, stout, uniformly-coloured 

 larva feeds on the flowers of the " bilimbi " tree {Averrhoa bilimbi). 

 The larvae vary much in colour, hardly two being alike. Uniform 

 yellowish-gray, pale yellow, pale greenish-yellow, pale green, pale 

 pink, and red are all common colours. (Plate F., figures 5 and 6.) 



Pupa. — The pupa is a very pretty object, being usually a bright 

 light green (sometimes with black markings) with numerous fascicu- 

 lated tufts of yellow spiny hairs. The sketch (Plate F., figure 8), 

 for which I am indebted to Mr. E. Ernest Green, gives a good idea 

 of its general appearance. It is generally attached to a flower-stalk, 

 but sometimes to a flower-petal or fruit, or more rarely a leaf, of 

 the food plant. I noticed that those pupae which were formed in my 

 paper-lined boxes were all of a light-gray colour, sometimes with 

 indications of rosy-red markings ; it is possible therefore that this 

 species possesses some degree of colour-adaptability in its pupa. 



Imago. — The transformations of this species are unusually rapid, 

 the larva suspending itself and pupating in a few hours, the imago 

 emerging after a pupal period of only four or five days. 



Habits of Imago. — Contrary to the usual habit of plume moths, 

 this speciei appresses itself closely to the surface on which it is 

 resting ; also it frequently settles on the under surface of leaves. It 

 may readily be beaten in the day time from bilimbi trees or from 

 bushes in their vicinity. 



Diacrotricha aglaodesma, Meyr. 

 T. E. S., 1886, 12 ; B. J., XVII., 134. 



Distribution. — Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Kegalla, 

 Colombo, Trine omalee, Matale, Arawa. 



Rather scarce ; may be looked for in dry low-country districts. 

 My Gp^cimons 3 were Safest, at light at Trincomalee in November, 

 1906, and on June 8, 1907. 



Occurs also in Eastern Australia and in some of the South Pacific 

 and Malayan Islands. 



Diacrotricha pesseuta, Meyr. 

 B. J., XVII., 134. 



Distribution. — Puttalam (in February and April — Pole) ; Ham- 

 bantota (January 12, 1908). 



This species has not yet been recorded from any locality outside 

 of Ceylon and is evidently an inhabitant of the very dry low-country 

 districts. My single specimen was beaten from a tangled growth 

 of Euphorbia, Gapparis, and Vitis quadrangular is. 



EXELASTIS, Meyr. 



This genus lias lately been founded (B. J., XVII., 730) to 

 include atomosa and liophanes. I give a figure of the neuration 

 (Plate C, figure F), but would call attention to an apparent dis- 



