BRAZILIAN LEPIDOPTERA. 65 



XVII. — Megalopyge Citri. 

 Phalcsna B. Citri, Anon. Ins. Surinam, i., p. 31, pi. 12. 

 Podalia Citri, Walker, Catal. Lep. Het. Brit. Mus. vii., 



p. 1715. 



Larva, a, Full-fed. San Paulo, March 16, 1878. 



The caterpillar of this species is found, full-fed, from the 

 middle of March to the middle of April. I have taken it on 

 a Papilionaceous tree, called here " Unha de Onga," or 

 Puma's claws ; on Cedrela, Palma Christi, a species of Ficus, 

 and on the orange. The colour of the body is a pure dead 

 white ; the tubercles, from which spring the very long dark 

 hairs, are of a purplish pink colour. At the roots of the long 

 hairs are tufts of venomous spines, which cause very severe 

 pain and inflammation if brought in contact with the skin. 

 This caterpillar and some others of the same genus are so 

 very venomous that it is dangerous to handle them, the 

 spines even penetrating the hard skin of the fingers or palm 

 of the hand. Most of the other venomous caterpillars can 

 be taken up with impunity if the spines are not allowed to 

 come in contact with the softer skin of the back of the 

 fingers or hand. 



Pupa. 



The cocoons are spun in clusters about the branches of the 

 tree, usually at a fork, and closely resemble the bark of the 

 tree. The outer covering is very large and loose ; inside this 

 there is a second envelope, and beneath this again is the 

 closely woven carinated case within which the insect changes 

 to the pupa state. Pupation does not take place for several 

 months after the caterpillar is full-fed. In August I found 

 the larva still unchanged, though much reduced in size. 

 Though almost motionless when I opened the cocoon, it still 

 had activity enough to repair the damage done. 



