BRAZILIAN LEPIDOPTERA. 31 



III. — MoRPHO Epistrophis. 



Leonte Epistrophis, Hiibner, Samml. Exot. Schmett. 



(1816-24.) 

 Ova. 



The eggs of this species are laid in clusters of twenty or 

 thirty on the upper side of the leaf of the food plant, and 

 incubate in about fifteen days. 



Larva. 



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

 b, Cast skins Dec, 1879. 



After emerging from the egg, the young caterpillars are 

 very sluggish, and apparently do not move at all for a couple 

 of days. For some weeks after they are hatched they scarcely 

 eat anything, and do not seem to grow at all. They lie in a 

 cluster on the under side of the leaf, radij^ting from a centre, 

 their great black heads pointing outwards and presenting a 

 very curious appearance. They probably hybernate during 

 the cold season, for I have found specimens at the end of 

 July still very small. The food plants that I have found the 

 caterpillar upon are all forest trees, two of them belonging to 

 the Papilionaceae. 



The caterpillars are social, and hang in a cluster on a leaf 

 of the tree quite close together, and very beautiful they look 

 with their intricate mosaic markings and soft downy hair. 

 At night they separate to feed, returning to the same leaf in 

 the morning, which leaf is covered with a silken web to give 

 security to their hold. When walking they have a curious 

 habit of wagging the head up and down. I have noticed the 

 same habit in other caterpillars, but the motion is generally 

 from side to side. The object of this wagging of the head 

 seems to be to drive the preceding caterpillar on when the 

 brood is marching in single file to its feeding ground, or back 

 to its resting place, for I have only observed this habit in 

 those caterpillars that live in clusters. The whole lot of 



