December, 1901] 



PSYCHE. 



281 



The single median spine in the 8th seg- 

 ment is wide, deeply cleft, or forked, with 

 the base enlarged. On each abdominal seg- 

 ment between the dorsal and supraspiracular 

 row of spines is a gronp of from '3 to 6 irregu- 

 lar, flattened ruiflc-like or fungoid bright 

 vellow warts, the number on the Sth abdomi- 

 nal segment being reduced to two round 

 crateriform ones, like a tart or fungus. 



Spiracles conspicuous, bright testaceous or 

 luteous. Suranal plate large rounded tri- 

 angular, the surface irregularly roughly cor- 

 rugated but unarmed. Thoracic and abdomi- 

 nal, including the anal, legs dull black, anal 

 legs rather large sphingiform, black, the sur- 

 face rough. Under side of the body black, 

 with no warts or other markings. 



Length 78 mm.; thickness of the body 12 

 mm.; width of head 7 mm. 



A remarkably spiny larva, with a most 

 formidable armature of very sharp slight- 

 ly recur\ecl long spines, while the head 

 and body are dull black. The groups 

 _ of yellow warts would render it a very 

 conspicuous object. It would be inter- 

 esting to know whether it feeds exposed 

 on trees. 



This is another example of the occur- 

 rence of very dark or black caterpillars 

 in the tropics, a circumstance as yet to 

 be explained. 



Described from a blown example from 

 "Natal" received and labelled as above 

 from Messrs. Staudinger and Bang- 

 Haas. 



This variable species is distributed 

 throughout equatorial and southern 

 Africa. According to Sonthonnax * the 

 larva transforms in the earth, without 



* Essai de classification des Lepidopt^res producteurs de 

 soie. (36 fascicule) Lyon, 1901. 



spinning a silken cocoon, at a depth of 

 two or three inches ; the " transforma- 

 tion " or resting period lasting six 

 months. 



Gynanisa ISIS Westwood. 



Larva. — Body cylindrical, thick, a large 

 thick spiny caterpillar. Head about one- 

 half as thick as the body ; surface unarmed, 

 with short minute wrinkles or corrugations ; 

 pale olive green ; a short black line on each 

 side of the clypeus, the anterior division of 

 which bears a low conical tubercle situated 

 each side of a median smooth ridge. 



Prothoracic shield distinct, of the usual 

 lunate shape, unarmed, the surface nearly 

 smooth, only slightly corrugated, and the 

 front edge shining jet black; on the side of 

 the segment directly in front of the spiracle 

 is a low thick tubercle, and lower down a 

 few simple flattened pale warts. 



Second and third thoracic segments each 

 with two dorsal tubercles, not erect but flat- 

 tened and adhering to the skin on the basal 

 two-thirds ; they are pointed inward towards 

 each other, with the ends erect, but rounded, 

 not ending in a spine ; those of the third are 

 a little larger than those on the second seg- 

 ment. A supraspiracular and an infraspirac- 

 ular smaller minute tubercle, a continuation 

 of the tliree rows of similar tubercles on the 

 sides of the abdominal segments. These 

 two segments are crossed by three irregular 

 rows of irregular flattened pale tubercles. 



On abdominal segments i to 7 are six rows 

 of large tubercles (three on each side of the 

 body) inclined inwards and backwards to- 

 wards the median line of the body, and larger 

 than those on the thoracic segments, each 

 ending in a stout sharp point. The two 

 dorsal spines of each segment are tipped with 

 black, the small lateral ones not thus tipped. 

 These spines are all smooth and bear no 

 setae. In the neighborhood of and behind 

 each spiracle is an irregular group of 5 to 6 

 elongated oval crateriform warts, and two 



