Seduce (lu Icr Xonciiihrc 19W 



101 



olhcis lli;it it is caiiscMl by llu^ palpi Ix'iiig sriapcd 

 ai^ainsl the proboscis. '\\\c iallrr scciiis the most |)ro- 

 lìaltlc fxplaiialion. So tar, I bave iit'vcr read Ibal tbis 

 insect is able to |)ro(bice a noise wben it is in tlie larval 

 staile, bnl sncb a|)pears to belbe case, judi^ini^ troni tbe 

 bebaxionr of a spi'cinien 1 obtained iccenlly. Oilier 

 species ol spbinj^idat' or bawk niotbs are recorded as 

 beini; ai)le to emil sounds in tbe larval and pupal 

 staf^es. 



Tbe larva lorniiiii!; Ibc sulijecl oI" Ibis nolo ^vas 

 brou^bt to ine wlien t'nll-i^rown and ready lo eiiler llie 

 j^round to })upate. Takini; tbe caterpillar in my band 

 to examine it I was suiprised to lind Ibat it emilted 

 a seiies of distincl and rallier sliarp crackini^ sounds. 

 'riies(> were produced or appeared to me to be jiroduced 

 by a (piici; sna])piiii; togelber or grinding logetber of 

 tbe mandibles. An interesting point iiol«d was Ibat llie 

 lar\a was unable to prodtu-e Illese sounds continuously, 

 it t'ould be seen trying to do so, bui tbe results of ils 

 elTorts were eitbei' xcry laiul or (piite inaudible to me- 

 I'ossibly tbe exjilanation of Ibis lailure was Ibal llie 

 mandibles were not dry but bad liecome lubricated 

 willi sali\a, or else Ibal some piece's of foreign matter 

 bad beconu' lempoiarily allacbed to Ibeiii ; eillier miglit 

 act as a kind of bulTer and iirevent or deaden llie sound 

 |)roduci'd by a clasbiug or grinding logetber of tbe jaws. 



it will be of interest to obserxc al wlial stage in its 

 larval life tbe dealb's bead motli caterpillar is able to 

 produce sounds. It may be lound tlial Ibis faculty is 

 accpiirt'd onlv towards tbe end wben tbe larva is about 

 to leave tbe food plant, eiiler tbe soil and pupate. 



