12 



This is a native moth usually living in the native forest 

 regions above cultivated lands. The caterpillars normally feed 

 on grasses, commonly Ililo grass; and on sedges, particularly 

 Baumea meyenii, a large equitant-leaved species growing on the 

 mountain ridges at elevations of 1000 feet and more. The 

 caterpillar may often be found on the leaves of this plant, or 

 hiding in the dead leaves and trash at its base. I have ob- 

 served a few of them in the higher parts of the sugar cane 

 ])lantations of the Ilamakua and Ililo districts of Hawaii, 

 where they were feeding on the young cane along with army 

 worms and other cutworms. They have the habit of hiding 

 behind the leaf-sheaths of the cane, in the daytime, as the cater- 

 pillars of unipuncta often do. 



The moth is easily distinguished from the two })receding 

 species as it is of a distinct reddish color, especially the fore- 

 wings. The caterpillars are larger and i)lumper than those of 

 unipuncta. and a little larger than those of (unblycasis. 



1 once found about a dozen eggs of this moth in a row on a 

 leaf of Ililo grass {Paspalum conjugatum). They were 

 white, spherical, with a faint miscroscopical reticulation, about 

 1 mm. in diameter, distinctly larger than eggs of Feltid dis- 

 locata. The larvae from these eggs became full-grown in about 

 a month. They molted five (possibly six) times at intervals of 

 three to five days. The pupal stage occupied about three 

 weeks. 



The full-grown cat('r])illar is 42-4:5 mm. ; olivaceous, with 

 faint rosy tinge in ])lace8 ; head reticulated with brown; cervical 

 shield traversed longitudinally Ijy three whitish lines bordered 

 on both sides by blackish ; the whitish lines are faintly contin- 

 uous on the body, the mid-dorsal one somewhat interruptedly 

 bordered with brownish fuscous, each lateral one forms the 

 lower boundary of an interrupted dark, brownish-fuscous sub- 

 dorsal stripe; just above line of spiracles a much interrujjted 

 wide brownish-fuscous stripe, more distinct posteriorly and 

 extending onto posterior proleg; other ])ro]egs with a large 

 blackish s]iot on outer side; tubercles; forming two rows of 

 black dorsal dots; other tubercles not conspicuous; hairs short, 

 pale; spiracles oval, black; a black dot in line with them on 

 segments 8 and 4. Younger cateri)illars are often paler; and 

 in some of thciii the dark stripes are more conspicuous. 



