ANTHROCERA TRIFOLU. 495 



and a quarter of an inch in width centrally (widest part). The base, 

 owing to the surface on which the cocoons were spun, is broad and 

 flattened, otherwise the cocoon is fusiform in shape ; the ends 

 rounded and somewhat blunt ; the upper end rather thinner than the 

 rest of the cocoon. It is of very delicate structure, pale yellow, 

 inclining to whitish, in colour, uniformly tinted all over the surface, 

 although the cocoon is much more loosely spun laterally than in 

 front. The outer surface is shiny, as though varnished. The inner 

 surface is lined with some very fine, loose, flossy, white silk. Hellins 

 says that he had a cocoon which was quite white. The upper end 

 of the cocoon dehisces medially to allow of the escape of the pupa, 

 although there is a smaller lateral slit on either side in some cocoons. 

 The pupa emerges as far as the second abdominal segment before the 

 imago is excluded, the pupa-case remaining fixed in the cocoon in 

 this position after the emergence of the imago. Boisduval describes 

 the cocoon as " allonge, sillonne, et d'un jaune paille, avec la partie 

 inferieure blanchatre." The cocoon of A. trifolii (-minor) is rarely 

 spun on a grass-culm or stalk of a herbaceous plant, but low down, 

 either upon or near the ground. With regard to the formation of the 

 cocoon, an observer notes (Pet. Nouv. Ent., ii., p. 243) that the larva 

 first spins the lower part of its cocoon, in which it rests, whilst it 

 makes the upper part, which it completes by uniting the two parts 

 together, and when enclosed makes the structure more solid, the whole 

 operation having occupied from 2-0 p.m. -6-30 p.m. He says that the 

 larva covers the basal part with a golden-yellow liquid, and observed it 

 eject the latter as a viscid secretion from the anal orifice, turning itself 

 at once to spread the varnish, the lower part being first done, the upper 

 part afterwards. He further noticed that, after the colouring matter 

 had been spread, the larva arched itself in order to keep up the damp 

 part until it had dried, a result that happens very quickly. The larva 

 curled itself backwards, horseshoe fashion, to deposit the material, 

 three ejections being necessary to complete the whole process. Chap- 

 man notes that the pupa keeps its venter towards the attachment of 

 the cocoon. When the pupa liberates itself from the cocoon, the 

 latter splits dorsally for fully one- fourth of its length, and there are 

 two lateral slits. The two flaps so formed are forced out, but, being 

 very elastic, press inwards, and try to close the slits. The pupa 

 pushes itself out until the 4th abdominal segment is opposite the end 

 of the dorsal slit, and the posterior margins of the wing-cases engage 

 in the lateral slits, the ends of the flaps falling into the hollow on each 

 side of the first abdominal segments that form the waist. As the 

 moth emerges, the elasticity more or less closes the slits on the empty 

 pupa-case, pinching it up into folds. 



PUPA. The pupa is blackish-brown, shiny ; the surface finely 

 pitted, and with a somewhat silky appearance under a lens ; the abdo- 

 minal segments greenish-black, and all but the three terminal, almost 

 transparent ; a distinct waist at 2nd abdominal ; the 8th-10th abdom- 

 inal segments narrow very rapidly. Dorsal view: The dorsal head- 

 piece prominent ; the prothorax well-developed ; the mesothorax large,' 

 prominent, swollen medially, and with a distinct shoulder at the base 

 of the wings ; the metathorax narrow centrally, widening at sides and 

 carrying the hind-wings, which extend conspicuously beyond the base 

 of the fore-wings, the base and outer margin of the hind-wings being 



