25 



the opposite epidermis, which makes the leaf look dead on the 

 margin. They often feed near the base of the leaf, adjacent to 

 the sheath. 



The larvae feed on leaves of sorghum in the same way. They 

 also feed in the tops eating the flowers, bracts, and young seeds. 



In 1906, larvae were found very abundantly feeding on sweet 

 corn, which was badly attacked by corn-hoppers {Pcrcgrimis 

 niaidis). They were beneath leaf-sheaths and husks, and in the 

 ears eating the silks, young grains and even the bracts or chaff 

 of the cob ; they were also in the tassels. They spin slight silken 

 tunnels wherever they feed. 



More recently, I have found the larvae quite abundant among 

 the flower clusters of Algaroba, both fresh clusters, and the 

 withered and dried up ones. I have also found them on orange, 

 mulberrv, and some other plants, feeding where there has been 

 infestation by Aphis or mealy bugs ; and in the dried capsules of 

 the castor oil plant. 



In Ala}', 1908, I found them abundant on lantana where it was 

 being killed by being attacked by Orthecia, the "Maui blight"; 

 and in the same year found them on coffee trees amongst the 

 berries, an occasional one being eaten by thems. In all cases 

 where these larvae occur along with Aphis, mealy bugs, etc., they 

 do not feed on these latter insects themselves, although they may 

 be attracted by the more or less sweetish excretions of these in- 

 sects : they feed, however, largely on the tissues of the plants 

 themselves, either the fresh tissues or else the dead or dying tis- 

 sues. 



It is thus seen that the larvae of this moth are quite general 

 feeders. They are not to be considered very injurious, however; 

 the other insects with which they are usually associated being far 

 more injurious. They have not as yet become injurious to sugar 

 cane; but are generally distributed, as I have occasionally ob- 

 served the larvae in cane fields of various districts of the Islands. 



Larva (Plate IV, Fig. 7) is about 12 mm. long; nearly cylin- 

 xlrical, narrowing towards each end ; olivaceous, yellowish, red- 

 dish, or fuscous, with several longitudinal darker stripes, brown- 

 ish or fuscous ; most conspicuous is a broad, somewhat double 

 brownish or fuscous, stripe just above line of tubercles iii ; head 

 yellowish-brown to dark fuscous, eyes black : cervical shield con- 



