978 rROCEEDINCiS OF TIIK TIIIISD E.VTOM().I>()GICAI, MEETIXG 



of ttis kind, and I can merely add that in my opinion the advancement 

 of collections stould be attained by international combination. For 

 want of this the Extremely limited resources of entomology are much 

 wasted, and the admirable enthusiasm of collectors is smothered if not 

 entirely extinguished. 



Fletcher. Br. Sharp is familiar to all of you as the author of the two volumes 



on Insects in the Cambridge Natural History, to mention only on« 

 work with which you are all familiar. He is absolutely correct in 

 drawing our attention to the vast amount of work still to be done in 

 collecting and studying insects and we are all much obliged to him for 

 his kindness in sending us this paper. 



73.— NOTE ON A VERY CURIOUS GEOMETRID LARVA. 



% T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, R.N., F.L.S., F.E.S., F.Z.S., Imferiat 

 Entomologist. 



(Plate 162,) 



The Geometrid larva shown in the accompanying photographs and 

 coloured sketch* ■^^as found by me at Shillong on 29th June 1918 feeding 

 on a small plant of Heptapleurum kypoleucimi (Araliacese). 



As you will see from the figures, it provided a very good imitation 

 of a small piece of dead stick covered with a thick growth of green moss. 

 It was in the evening when I found it and I did not examine it very 

 closely at the time, but supposed it was probably an " Emerald " cater- 

 pillar which had applied pieces of moss to its back, in the same way 

 as is done with lichen in the case of another small Geometrid larva 

 which is very common at Shillong. On examining the larva next 

 morning, however, I was siurprised to find that the supposed fragments 

 of moss were really outgrowths from the skin itself. As you will see 

 from the figures, the resemblance to moss was exact both in shape and 

 colour, the detailed exactitude of the protective resemblance in this 

 caterpillar being very striking. ' ^ 



The larva fed on Heftafleurum leaves, usually remaining motionless 

 by day, and ultimately pupated on 12th July. The pupa is shown in 

 the coloured sketch. It was brought to Pusa when I retm-ned there 

 at the end of July but the journey and change of climate proved too 

 much for it and it failed to emerge. It is therefore not possible to say 

 definitely what species this caterpillar belonged to, untU further examples 



' Not reproduced. 



