LEP1DOPTERA. 



371 



Bombyx ricini, Fab., Syst. Ent., p. 583 (1775). 



PericaUia iricini, Hmpsn., Faun. [nd. Moths. II, 17-1S, Cat. Phal., Ill, 

 350-351. 1". 155 ; Lefroy, [nd. [ns. Life. p. 438. 



Distribution. — Throughout Southern India. 



Lifehistory. Larva dark-brown or blackish, thickly covered with 

 tine long reddish-brown hairs which arise from bluish warts, head 

 reddish or blackish; rather variable in colour; active in habits. 

 Pupa squat, red-brown, enclosed in a rather flimsy white cocoon 

 affixed to objects above ground-level. 



Foodplants. -Castor, plantain, pumpkin, gingelly, cotton, agathi, 

 Calotropis, Moringa, oleander, colocasia and various other plants 

 and shrubs. 



Status. —A serious pest of garden crops. 



Control. — Hand-picking and spraying. 



UTETHEISA PULCHELLA, Linn. 



Tinea pukhella, Linn., Syst. Nat. (X), p. 534 '1758). 



Utetheisa pulchella, Hmpsn., Faun. [nd. Moths. II, 55, Cat. Phal.. Ill, 

 483—485 fpartim), f. 217; Lefroy, [nd. Ins. Pest>, p. 148, ft'. 166—168, 

 [nd. Ins. Life. p. 438. 



Fig. 2ii. — Utetheisa pulchella, larva and moth. The smaller figures 

 indicate the natural sizes. (Ori 



Distribution. — Throughout the Plains of Southern India. 



Lifehistory. — Eggs laid singly or in small batches on leave- of 



the foodplant. Larva when full-grown about 20 mm. long, rather 



stout, with an irregular pale creamy-yellow line down the bat k, 



bordered on either side by a blackish stripe, below which is , t 



- of reddish-orange blotches margined beneath with pale- 



yellow longitudinal spots. A few scattered blackish hairs, longer 



at either extremity of tin- larva, arise singly from small warts on 



tin' back and Mde^. Pupation in a rather flimsy cccoon. usually in 



2 4- A 



