24 SPOLIA ZEYLANTCA. 



food, for nearly every plant examined will be found to have at least 

 one undigested insect caught on its leaves. A small black ant seems 

 to be the most frequent victim, but a small red ant, minute grass- 

 hoppers, small moths, &c., are also to be seen. 



PJgg-laying. — A female moth confined over plants of Drosera 

 burmanni laid several ova, most of which were deposited on the seed 

 capsules and unexpanded flower buds. One ovum was laid midwaj'' 

 on a petiole on the edge of a young leaf. 



Ovum. — When first deposited the egg is of a pale shining green 

 colour, sho\ving prismatic tints. There seems to be a system of 

 rather coarse reticulation disposed regularly over the surface, but the 

 enclosed depressions are very shallow. It is oval in longitudinal, 

 circular in transverse, section. Its length is about "45 mm., and its 

 diameter about "18 mm. 



Larva. — There are apparently four instars : — 



First In-star. — The newly hatched larva is about 1 mm. long. In 

 colour it is a pale transparent yellow which takes a reflected tint from 

 the Droscj-a leaves, thus making the young larva very difficult to 

 see ; the prothoracic segment is a little darker, and the head is brown 

 and comparatively very large. Scattered over the body are short 

 white hairs, but they are neither conspicuous nor plentiful. No 

 warts are visible. 



The larva crawls about without hesitation amongst the glandular 

 hairs of the Drosera leaf, the gummy tips of the petioles standing 

 up above it, so that it can walk about among their bases with 

 impunity. In this stage it seems to feed entirely on the petioles 

 and gum. 



Before undergoing its first ecdysis the larva gro^\'s to about 1*5 mm. 

 in length, and the segmental interstices are more plainly marked in 

 a lighter yellowish colour, whereas the segments themselves have 

 become of a darker greenish-yellow. 



Second Instar. — About 2 mm. long and rather stout. Colour a 

 greenish-yellow, paler below and on the sides on which the spiracles 

 stand out darkly ; there are apparently small latero-dorsal tubercles 

 which bear rather long white clubbed hairs. 



It feeds on the glandular petioles, biting through the base and 

 drawing the stalk into its mouth by a series of movements and 

 finishing by devouring the drop of gum. It seems fairly voracious, 

 but is evidently rather fastidious in its selection of the glandular 

 hairs. 



Third (? antepenultimate) Instar. — About 3 mm. long and fairly 

 stout. Colour a pale green Avith interrupted pinkish latero-dorsal 

 lateral, and supraspiracular stripes. Tubercles green at base, 

 brownish at points of emission of the white hairs. The disposition 

 of the tubercles is shown in the figure (fig 3). 



