56 METAMORPHOSES OF 



Family Saturniid^. 



I. — AUTOMERIS SP ? 



Automeris sp ? Dull greyish sienna-brown in male, burnt sienna- 

 red in female ; forewing with a narrow transverse yellowish slightly waved 

 antemedial band, and an oblique straight postmedial band, both bands being 

 slenderly bordered outward with brown ; a slender irregular-oval discocel- 

 lular mark : hindwing with a large discal black bordered, yellow ringed, 

 irregular circular blind ocellate patch, in the middle of which is an oval 

 black spot, this spot being white speckled at each end, and has a contiguous 

 white-speckled streak on each side ; beyond the patch is a submarginal 

 slender black scalloped line and a contiguous narrow red band. 



Expanse (? 3^, ? 3| inches. 



The above is doubtless a named species, but I have been unable to iden- 

 tify it. — F. MooEK. 



Larva, a, Full-fed. San Paulo, Dec, 1878. 



The caterpillar of this species is common in the neighbour- 

 hood of San Paulo. There appear to be several broods in 

 the year. It feeds on a great variety of plants. I have found 

 it on Iris, Gladiolus, Banana, Rose, Scabious, several 

 composite plants, and many others. It is sluggish in its 

 habits, remaining for a long time in one spot as long as it 

 has food. The spines are very venomous, the effects of the 

 poison when injected into the skin being very severe, causing 

 violent pain for some hours. 



Pupa, a, Full-fed, Jan. 1, 1878 ; Imago, Jan. 31 = 30 days. 



Pupation takes place in a light cocoon spun between leaves 

 or in any other convenient place. 



m, ? Full-fed, Dec. 24, 1877 ; Imago, Jan. 20, 

 Imago. 1878 = 27 days. 



^b, ^ Full-fed, Jan. 1, 1878; Imago, Jan. 31, 

 I 1878 = 30 days. 



Specimens as above produced the perfect insect in January, 

 1878. Another brood was full-fed at the beginning of April, 



