20 METAMORPHOSES OF BRAZILIAN LEPIDOPTERA. 



Larva. Full-fed, San Paulo, Feb., 1881. 



The caterpillar of this magnificent species feeds on the 

 Araticu (Rollinia?), and is by no means uncommon from 

 February to May. It is of a bright green colour. There is a 

 purplish horn, with a rough warty surface, on the eleventh 

 segment, and a white diagonal stripe runs fi-om the base of 

 the horn to the ninth segment. When full-fed the 'colour 

 becomes somewhat paler and duller. When annoyed this 

 caterpillar has a habit of flinging its head round and striking 

 the offending object. It also often bends itself backwards 

 into a horse-shoe, holding on to the twig by its anal and 

 last pair of abdominal legs. It prefers the leaves at the ends 

 of the twigs for food, and hides amongst the untouched 

 leaves lower down, where it is not easily detected, owing to 

 its green colour. I have generally found it by observing the 

 bare twigs and searching amongst the leaves. (See Plate 

 VII, fig. 1.) 



Pupa. Full-fed, April, 1882. 



When full-fed the caterpillar enters the ground for 

 pupation. 



(Full-fed, 13th Feb., 1881., 



^^^^°- ilmago, 7th April, 1881. [^^days. 



The moth emerges about two months after the caterpillar 

 enters the ground. 



Family Zyg^nid^. 

 Genus Saurita. Boisd. 

 XIV. — Saurita Cassandra. 

 Sphinx Cassandra, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii., p. 806 (1767). 

 Larva. Not preserved. 

 I found only one specimen of this caterpillar in the woods 



