22 METAMor.PTIORES OF BRAZILIAN LEPIDOPTERA. 



The colour is bright green. A white line passes down each 

 side, above the stigmata, from the fourth to the tenth 

 segment, and there is a crimson band, bordered on the front 

 with pale blue, across the thorax. The eleventh segment is 

 ornamented with bright yellow swellings, which the cater- 

 pillar has the power of puffing out and making very con- 

 spicuous. This brilliant colouring is a good illustration, as 

 pointed out to me by Professor Herdman, of the theory that 

 it is really a protection to the caterpillar to be conspicuous ; 

 for this caterpillar possesses the remarkable power of ejecting 

 from its mouth a fine jet of acid fluid upon any enemy that 

 attacks it. This fluid has a very pungent smell, and, I 

 should imagine, would be quite sufficient to make any bird 

 drop the caterpillar. And, no doubt, in time the birds would 

 learn not to attack so objectionable a mouthful, and so the 

 caterpillar would not run the risk of being damaged by their 

 beaks. The amount of fluid discharged is equal to a good- 

 sized drop, and it can be repeated several times, though it 

 takes a good deal of irritation to cause a second or third dis- 

 charge. The precision with which the jet is directed upon 

 the offending object is remarkable. I have tested the 

 acidity of the fluid with blue litmus, which was immediately 

 reddened. (See Plate VII, fig. 2.) 



Full-fed, 22nd April, 1881. 

 Imago, 



When full-fed, the caterpillar spins a gummy cocoon 

 on the surface of the ground, and attaches to the cocoon 

 leaves, bits of earth, etc. On breaking open a cocoon in 

 August, I found the insect still in the larval condition. 

 Pupation took place in September, five mouths after the 

 caterpillar was full-fed. 



Pupa. 



12nd April, 1881. ) 

 2nd Nov. „ I 194 days. 



J Full-fed, 22nd April, 1881. 

 ( Imago, 2ud Nov., ,, 



194 days. 



