402 Mr. Forsayeth on the life-history of 



Pseudomesa incerta, Walk. 

 Mhow, September 5th, 1881. 



Larva found on the leaves of Pipal, Babul, and 

 Ber trees. Colour light brown with creamy variega- 

 tions and dark markings, as shown in figure ; belly and 

 lower margin of body of a greenish brown. Along 

 dorsum a double row of tubercles exist armed with 

 minute spines ; sparse tufts of hair of simple character 

 exist along lateral margins of segments. All the hairs 

 and spines are simple, and possess no irritating pro- 

 perties. 



The pupa is suspended back downwards in a hammock 

 of very thin and openly-worked silk ; it is attached to 

 the net by caudal spine. A tuft of black hair exists on 

 the head ; hairs also along dorsum of thorax. The 

 remainder of body is thinly clad with short white down. 

 Colour a dull dark purply brown. The wing-covers 

 appear short in proportion to remainder of body, espe- 

 cially in female pupsB, which are also much larger than 

 the male. 



The male imago is active, and with plumose antennae 

 and fully-developed wings. The female is much larger 

 in size, with rudimentary wings, simple filiform antennae, 

 and an enormous abdomen clothed with very short light 

 fawn-coloured hair. It is extremely sluggish in its 

 movements, seldom even moving from one position for 

 days. The females are extremely prolific, laying great 

 numbers of eggs in semiglobular masses attached to 

 leaves, &c., and covered with fine down torn from their 

 bodies. They live for about a week, and then, having 

 deposited oil their eggs and stripped themselves bare of 

 down, die, shrivelled, naked and atrophied objects — but 

 the shadow of their former selves. 



Tbe larvaB vary in size ; I have found some about one- 

 third longer and three times as bulky as that figured. 

 They are occasionally infested with a minute red tick- 

 like parasite. 



Perina nucla, Fabr. (PI. XIV., figs. 7—7 h ; PL XV., 



figs. iSa—Gd). 

 Mhow, August 29th, 1881. 



The larva feeds on the Gular {Ficus sp.), but I have 

 also found it on the Pipal {Ficus rclicjiosa). It is very 



