o LIFE-HISTORIES OF PTEROPHORIDA 
appearance. It is generally attached to a flower-stalk, but sometimes to a 
flower-petal or fruit, or more rarely a leaf, of the foodplant ” (*). 
“The transformations of this species are unusually rapid, the larva 
suspending itself and pupating in a few hours, the imago emerging after a 
pupal period of only four or five days ”’ (8). 
Tr dye ws 
BUCKGERIA PALUDICOLA, FLETCHER. 
Trichoptilus paludicola, Fletcher, Spolia Zeylan., V, 20-32, 7 figures (1907) (+) 
Le. Vi, 31). At ToL) 2); 
This species was originally described from Diyatalawa (Ceylon) (') and has 
also been recorded from Madulsima (?) and the Khasi Hills (4). It is probably 
widely distributed in India in Icealities where Drosera grows but is inconspicuous 
and easily overlooked. We have it from Divatalawa and Kegalle in Ceylon, 
and from Shiilong. : 
. 
At Diyatalawa the larva was found to feed on Drosera burmanni, which 
is of common occurrence in India also. 
“ Egg-laying. A female moth confined over plants of Drosera burmanni 
laid several ova, most of which were deposited on the seed capsules and. un- 
expanded flower-buds. One ovum was laid midway on a petiole on the edge 
of a young leaf. 
“Ovum. When first deposited the egg is of a pale shining green colour, 
showing prismatic tints. There seems to be a system of rather coarse reti- 
culation 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 0°45 mm. and its diameter about 0°18 mm, 
“ Larva. There are apparently four instars :— 
“ First instar. The newly-hatched larva is about 1 mm. long. In colour 
it is a pale transparent yellow which takes a reflected tint from the Drosera 
leaves, thus making the young larva very difficult to see; the prothoractc 
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 grows to about 15 mm. 
in length, and the segmental interstices are more plainly marked in a lighter 
