PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



667- 



The actual breeding data are briefly summarized in the foUomng 

 table :— 



The above shows that the duration of the pupal stage of the second 

 brood varies to a great extent from 21 days to 110 days, and that the 

 season of deposition of the third lot of eggs is in October. It is a rather 

 curious fact that the moths which emerge in Augu.st or September are 

 always fruitless as they die without any deposition of eggs. The multi- 

 plication of this insect is rather rapid but the larvee of the second brood 

 are usually infested by several still unknown Bacteria and die in the 

 fifth instar. The sudden disappearance of this insect, after reaching 

 its cHmax, is almost always due to the work of these useful Bacteria, 

 though sometimes a Tachinid-fly is still more effectual in the work of 

 extermination. The remainder become full-grown larv'se and begin to 

 form their cocoons below shelters on the ground or below the t\\-igs 

 near the stem or rarely between or on the leaves. The pale brownish 

 cocoons are usually aggregated together in some numbers, the united 

 structure showing a flat face. After pupation the moths emerge in 

 from 18 to 114 days and the females deposit their eggs in five to 

 fourteen days. The newly hatched larvse remain on the underside of 

 the leaf in a mass, and begin to eat the under epidermis and 

 chlorophyll, leaving the upper epidermis until they first moult ; in this 

 case the caterpillars usually extrude fine silky threads and form a web- 

 like skin on the under surface of the leaf, this ser\'ing as a resting place 

 for the dehcate larvas. After the first moult they move from leaf to 

 leaf, and eat it from the margin. The caterpillar is not like that of a 

 Bombycid, but it is densely covered with very fine hairs and the 

 appearance of the skin seems velvety. The duration of each instar is- 

 from about three to ten days. 



