LEPIDOPTERA. 



393 



Fig. 25'». — Plusia signata. 

 figuiv shows the Datura! >i/.v. 



Distribution. — Throughout 

 Southern India. 



Lifehistory.—ha rva sic ri- 

 der, attenuated anteriorly, 

 only three pairs of prolegs 

 present, including anal 

 claspers ; in colour pea-green 

 with several wavy whitish 

 longitudinal lines and a 

 broader white longitudinal 

 lateral stripe. Pupation in 



The outline 



(Original.) a wnite sl 'ken cocoon ; moth 



emerges alter about a week. 



Foodplants. — Tobacco, groundnut, green-gram, sann-hemp. 



Status. —Scarcely a pest as a rule. Occasionally does some 



damage to young tobacco seedlings and, in the case of groundnut, 



etc., the attack seems confined to the tender leaves only. 



Remarks. — The exact identification of this moth is a matter of 

 doubt. So far as can be judged from the specimens obtained, the 

 species here referred to is P. signata but it is possible that the 

 specimens may represent P. chalcytes. 



PLUSIA ORICHALCEA, Kb. 



Voctna oriclialcea, Fab., Sp. Ins., II, 227. 



Plusia oriclialcea, Hmpsn., Faun. [nd. Moths, II. 573; Lcfroy, 

 Ent. Mem. Dept. Agri., [nd., I, 193. [nd. Ins. Life, p. 452. t. 37, f. 10. 



Distribution. Th rough- 

 OUt Southern India. 



[.1 tV hi story. — L a r \ a 

 about 25 mm. long, 

 slender, a 1 1 e n u 

 anteriorly, in colour 

 pale-green, the head 

 darker-green, the body 

 covered with small 

 whitish tubercles 

 with a central black dot 

 from which issues a 

 short white hair; along 

 each side runs a row of 

 black tubercles bordered 

 below by .1 white spira- 

 l. -Plusia orichalcea. The outlim cular stripe. Pupation 

 figure shows the natural size. (Original.) period about 8 days. 



