﻿39.— 
  LIFE-HISTORY 
  NOTES 
  ON 
  STAUROPUS 
  ALTERNUS, 
  

  

  WLK. 
  

  

  B2J 
  P. 
  SusATNATHAN, 
  F.E.S., 
  Assistant 
  in 
  Entomologij, 
  Coimbaiore, 
  end 
  

   C. 
  V. 
  SuNDARAM, 
  Sub-Assistant 
  in 
  Entomology, 
  Coimbatore. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  27th 
  of 
  November 
  1920 
  a 
  few 
  eggs 
  of 
  this 
  moth 
  were 
  brought 
  

   in 
  casually 
  with 
  Cajanus 
  leaves 
  intended 
  to 
  feed 
  nymphs 
  of 
  Clavigralla 
  . 
  

   In 
  appearance 
  it 
  was 
  round 
  and 
  measured 
  1-5 
  mm. 
  in 
  diameter 
  ; 
  slightly 
  

   flattened 
  on 
  top 
  and 
  adpressed 
  at 
  bottom 
  ; 
  attached 
  to 
  edge 
  of 
  under- 
  

   side 
  of 
  Cajanus 
  leaf. 
  Finely 
  sculptured 
  with 
  a 
  central 
  transparent 
  

   depression. 
  

  

  First 
  Instar. 
  29th 
  November 
  1920. 
  The 
  newly-hatched 
  larva 
  is 
  

   about 
  4-5 
  mm. 
  long 
  and 
  0-75-1 
  mm. 
  broad, 
  with 
  a 
  shiny 
  blackish-brown 
  

   head 
  and 
  anal 
  segment. 
  The 
  first 
  pair 
  of 
  legs 
  short, 
  the 
  second 
  and 
  

   third 
  long, 
  the 
  second 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  third 
  terminating 
  in 
  minute 
  

   hooks 
  at 
  the 
  tarsal 
  extremity. 
  The 
  general 
  colour 
  of 
  larva 
  brown. 
  

   The 
  anal 
  claspers 
  are 
  reduced 
  to 
  tentacle-like 
  appendages 
  which 
  are 
  

   carried 
  erect. 
  These 
  with 
  the 
  flattened 
  terminal 
  segment 
  give 
  one 
  

   the 
  idea 
  of 
  a 
  diminutive 
  cobra 
  putting 
  out 
  its 
  tongue. 
  

  

  Second 
  Instar. 
  1st 
  December 
  1920. 
  5-6 
  mm. 
  long. 
  Head 
  black. 
  

   Colour 
  of 
  larva 
  dark 
  brown. 
  Warts 
  more 
  acute 
  and 
  prominent 
  in 
  last 
  

   instar. 
  Flattened 
  terminal 
  segment 
  hirsute. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  was 
  found 
  cut 
  up 
  — 
  the 
  abdominal 
  portion 
  

   completely 
  disappeared— 
  points 
  to 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  cannibalistic 
  

   habits. 
  The 
  remaining 
  larvse 
  kept 
  separated. 
  

  

  Third 
  Instar. 
  6th 
  December 
  1920. 
  8-9 
  mm. 
  long. 
  Head 
  shiny 
  

   black. 
  Prothoracic 
  shield 
  globular, 
  dark-brown 
  and 
  fringed 
  with 
  a 
  

   row 
  of 
  fine 
  setae 
  at 
  the 
  posterior 
  margin. 
  Abdominal 
  segment 
  viewed 
  

   dorsally 
  light-brown 
  splashed 
  at 
  intervals 
  with 
  dark 
  brown 
  and 
  creamy 
  

   white. 
  Terminal 
  segment 
  brownish 
  black, 
  carried 
  erect. 
  Larva 
  more 
  

   defiant 
  in 
  attitude 
  ; 
  carries 
  the 
  head 
  bent 
  sideways 
  with 
  a 
  backward 
  

   curve 
  and 
  at 
  an 
  angle 
  to 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  

  

  Fourth 
  Instar. 
  11th 
  December 
  1920. 
  Spider-like 
  when 
  viewed 
  

   sideways. 
  12 
  mm. 
  long. 
  Head, 
  prothoracic 
  shield, 
  underside 
  of 
  thorax, 
  

   all 
  three 
  pairs 
  of 
  true 
  legs, 
  first 
  to 
  fourth 
  pair 
  of 
  pro-legs, 
  anal 
  segment 
  

   ventral 
  side 
  black. 
  Meta- 
  thorax, 
  l-6th 
  abdominal 
  segments 
  are 
  adorned 
  

   with 
  a 
  double 
  row 
  of 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  spiny 
  warts 
  dorsally. 
  Third 
  abdominal 
  

   segment 
  wholly 
  and 
  fourth 
  ventrally 
  black. 
  Fifth 
  and 
  sixth 
  wholly 
  

   whitish. 
  Seventh 
  and 
  eighth 
  concolorous 
  with 
  anal 
  segment 
  from 
  

  

  ( 
  291 
  ) 
  

  

  