rKOCEEDINGS OF TUE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 1)15 



are the ouly references to the early stages of this insect. Rothschikl and 

 Jordan, speaking of the larval stages of these Ambulicine hawk-moths, 

 say that the first stage is not known of any of these larva:>. I believe 

 therefore that the early stages of this insect will probably be of interest. 

 The following is a brief summary of the different stages in the life-history 

 of this Sphingid. 



Food-plant. The early stages of this moth are spent exclusively on 

 Cardia subcordata, a plant which appears to be a native of the Asiatic 

 Archipelago and not common in India, only being grown here and there 

 in gardens. In Coinibatore on a solitary plant of this kind in the estate 

 I have found the early stages of this insect, almost all through the year — 

 especially from July to March. It is not generally seen during the 

 summer months. 



Egg. The eggs are of the usual Sphingid type, fairly big, spherical 

 and seedlike in shape. They are found deposited singly both on the 

 upper and under surface of the leaves. In captivity the eggs laid by one 

 moth numbered over thirty. The egg-surface is smooth and in colour 

 it is glistening yellowish white ; it measures 2 mm. across. Very often 

 the egg is parasitized by a small dark Chalcidid wasp which has been 

 found to be a new species by Giraidt who has given it the name Anastaius 

 cohiibatorensis. The egg takes from five to ten days to hatch. iSoon 

 after hatching the larva often feeds on the egg-shell. 



The first stage. The just-hatched larva measures %-h nnn. The 

 head is very slender and elongated, spherical, smooth, made up of two 

 hemi.spheres with a median ventral groove. The prothorax is slightly 

 swollen. The usual posterior horn on the anal segment is present, 

 measiu-ing 1-2.5 mm. It is very slender and directed straight up verti- 

 cally ; the tip of the horn is forked. Just behind the horn are two small 

 sharp tubercles which are only clearly seen when observed carefully. 

 The general colour of the body is a uniform pale greenish-yellow ; ocelli 

 dark, the horn pinkish. The legs and prolegs have the colour of the body. 

 The whole body is fringed with numerous minute white tubercles. Within 

 a short period of two clays the first moult takes place, and the second 

 stage is reached. Very little of the moulted skin is found in the cage 

 in captivity ; probably the larva feeds on it. 



The second stage. Length 11 mm. Body is still slender and elongate. 

 The striking feature of this stage is the appearance of a vertical cephalic 

 process not generally seen in most caterpillars. No trace of it is found 

 ui the caterpillars when it hatches out of the egg and it appears only 

 after the first moult. This head-process, when closely observed, is made 

 up of two elongated pieces very closely approximated together and made 



