LEPIDOPTKKA. 



3*7 



Achaa melicerta, Hmpsn., ( at Phal., XII, 536-537, f. 124. 



Distribution. Throughoul Southern India all the year round. 



Lifehistory. Eggs are usually laid singly, scattered over the 

 lower surface of the leaves oi the foodplants, the larva emerging 

 after two or three days, and making its first meal off part of the 

 empty eggshell. The full-gn irpillar is about 50 60 nun. 



long, slender, .1 semi-looper with the first pair of prolegs aborted, in 

 colour very variable but usually grey or blackish with reddish or 

 whitish side-stripes. The pupa is brown but the colour is con 

 under a delicate greyish bloom; puliation usually takes place in 

 the soil, occasionally in a slight cocoon spun between leaves. The 

 whole life-cycle occupies between 3 and 4 weeks. 



Foodplants. Castor, pomegranate. Euphorbia pilulifera. 



Status. A sporadic but serious pesl of castor, the leaves of 

 which may be entirely stripped. 



Control. Hand-picking of larva 1 and construction of open spaces 

 around and across castor-fields ; birds attack the larva: freely when 

 they attempt to cross such open ground. Spraying is impracticable 

 when the castm leaves are grown to teed silkworms. Parasites 

 keei> this caterpillar in check as a rule. 



GRAMMODES STOLIDA, Fab. 

 Noctua stolida, Fab., Syst. Ent., p. 599. 

 Gram modes stolida, Hmpsn., Faun. Ind. Moths, II, 532. Cat. Thai. 



XIII. 21 



Grammodcs stolida. The outlii 

 inal.) 



Distribution. -Coimbatore. 



Lifehistory. -Full-grown larva about 25 mm. long, slender. 

 smooth, first pair of prolegs absent ; in colour velvety-black with a 



row of red spot- I ich segment) along the side, and below 



spots an orange-yellow stripe bordered below by dark-grey. 

 Pupation in an oval silken cocoon on the foodplant. 

 25-A 



