PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 665 



The caterpillar is brown and is broad and sliort, like a Limacodid 

 larva, the dorsum being roundish, and the ventral side being flat. The 

 head hides under the first somite. On each somite (except the first 

 and anal somites) there are four small black short tubercles in a trans- 

 verse row on the dorsum, and at the side there is a red tubercle. The 

 first somite bears two red tubercles on each side and the anal somite 

 has two brown dorsal tubercles and two reddish lateral tubercles. 

 The full-grown caterpillar measures about 23 mm. long. 



This caterpillar lives on the upper surface of the leaf singly and eats 

 the leaf from the margin as in a Limacodid larva. The full-grown 

 larva forms a large brownish cocoon which is tough and closely woven, 

 in the fold of a leaf (being on its upper surface). 



I have never seen this pest on tea-bushes in serious numbers, and 

 it is probably one of our most minor pests. There is a small black 

 Tachinid which was reared from the full-grown larva. About 10 — 15 

 flies usually emerge from a single larva. This is probably one of the 

 effective enemies of this Helerusia. 



No. 43. — Tiracola plagiata, Walk. {Mikan-Kuchiha.) 

 In the year 1913, it was first known that this larva eats the leaves 

 of tea and orange. According to later investigations its food-plants 

 are cabbage, onion. Agave and others. 



The larva is blackish-brown, with the head orange-yellow. The 

 dorsal stripe is black, and is distinct on the thoracic portion and tenth, 

 eleventh, and twelfth somites. At the side there are two bottle-shaped 

 yellowish-white spots, one being between the fourth and sixth somites, 

 and the other between the tfenth and eleventh segments. The eleventh 

 somite is produced above on the dorsum, like an anal protuberance, 

 and its side is yellowish-brown. When full-grown it measures about 

 50 mm. long. This caterpillar lives at the margin of leaf and eats it, 

 but seems rather to prefer a young leaf or shoot. When full-grown 

 the caterpillar comes down to the ground and begins to form an earth- 

 cell under the surface. After this work it turns to a brown pupa in 

 the cell. The pupa is spindle-shaped, with short wing-sheaths which 

 reach the posterior margin of the fourth abdominal segment. The 

 fifth abdominal segment is thickest, and from this the body is gradually 

 narrowed towards the anal apex. On each segment there are many 

 minute roundish dots near the anterior margin ; the anal segment 

 bears six yellowish spines, and has a longitudinal furrow in the middle 

 of the ventral surface. It is about 24 mm. long. 



