THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



No. 17.] JULY 15, MDCCCLXV. [Price 6d. 



Life-liistory of Melitcea Athalia. — The eggs are laid in 

 July, on Plantago lanceolata (narrow-leaved plantain), Plan- 

 tago major (broad-leaved plantain), Teucrium Scorodonia, 

 and Veronica Chamaidrys ; and the larvae, emerging in about 

 fourteen days, hybernate early at the roots of these plants: 

 at the end of April they reascend the plants, feeding more 

 copiously than in the autumn, and, crawling up any elevated 

 object, they may be found resting in the full blaze of the 

 meridian sun, which they appear particularly to enjoy : I 

 kept my specimens on a plant of Plantago lanceolata, and 

 covered with a bell-glass ; in the middle of the day I always 

 found they crawled up the flowering-stems of the plantain, 

 and I was particularly struclc with the resemblance of the 

 larvae to the flowers of this plant, a resemblance which per- 

 haps serves as a protection against the birds at this period of 

 the year, constantly on the look-out for caterpillars where- 

 with to feed their young. Head seniiporrect, fully as wide 

 as the 2nd segment, scabrous and bristly : 2nd segment dor- 

 sally scabrous and bristly, and having two conical spines 

 on each side, the spines being armed with bristles ; 3rd 

 and 4th segments each witli eight conical spines, two small 

 and slender on each side close to the leg, the others stouter 

 and nearer the back ; the following segments, from the otli 

 to the 11th, both inclusive, each with nine conical spines, 

 one of them being medio-dorsal ; the 12th segment has two 

 niedio-dorsal spines j^laced longitudinally, and three others 

 on each side ; the 13th has four spines, forming an irregular 

 quadrangle and pointing backwards : all of these conical 

 spines are closely beset with short stiff bristles. Colour of 

 the head black, the scabrous points white : dorsal surface of 

 the body velvety black, irroraied with snow-white dots ; the 

 spines in the medio-dorsal series are pale oiange at the base 

 and white at the tip ; those of the next series on each side 

 are deeper orange at the base and white at the lip ; all the 



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