34 CATALOGUE OF 



Hesperia Pann, Fahricim, Ent. Syst. III. pt. I. p. 276. 

 Papilio Pann, Donovan, Ins. India, t. 38,/ 1 {nee. Brury). 



a. b. c. d. S ? . Silhet. Presented by Colonel 



Buckley, 

 e. /. S ■ Darjeeling. From Messrs. Schlagintweit^s 



Collection. 



The following notice of the transforaiations of this interesting 

 species was read before the Entomological Society of London, 

 Pebruary 2, 1835, by J. 0. "Westwood, Esq., having been traced by 

 Mr. Charles King, of Madras. 



" The larvjB of this butterfly reside in the interior of the pome- 

 granate ; seven or eight, at least, having been reared in the interior 

 of a small specimen of this fruit. Of the mode in which the eggs 

 are deposited by the female in the interior of the pomegranate, no 

 information has been received ; it is, however, probable that this is 

 effected whilst the fruit is in its very young state. The caterpillars 

 feed upon the seeds and inner part of the fruit, which is thus weak- 

 ened, and rendered unable to support its own weight, and conse- 

 quently liable to have its stem broken, and to fall to the ground 

 with the first wind. This, however, would be destruction to the 

 inclosed insects ; since, in all probability, they would find it impos- 

 sible to make their escape were the fruit to be suffered to lie rotting 

 upon the ground. To obviate this evil, the caterpillars, when full 

 fed, have the instinct to eat a hole, about a quarter of an inch in 

 diameter, through the hard shell of the fruit, whilst it remains upon 

 the tree ; through this hole they then creep to the stem of the fruit, 

 and spin a white web, which they attach to the basal part of the 

 fruit as well as to the stem, for about the distance of an inch along 

 the latter. This web is sufficiently strong to support the pome- 

 granate from falling after the wind has broken the stem near to the 

 fruit, as is the case in the specimen of the fruit in hand. 



Prom the circumstance of this specimen having as many holes in 

 it as there were caterpillars inhabiting it, it is most probable that 

 the web thus spun is a joint production of the whole.* 



* It is curious, as evidencing the instinctive impulses under which eatli of the 

 inclosed larvae must have acted, that, instead of availing themselves of the first 

 aperture made in the fruit, each caterpillar should be at the trouble of making a 

 hole for itself, a circumstance which renders it the more probable that all joined 

 in spinning the web. 



