PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 657 



The whole Hfe-cycle occupies about 40 to 85 days. This species 

 is probably one of the minor pests of tea-plant, and destruction of the 

 -egg-masses is an easily practised control-measure. 



No. 34. — TJiosea sinensis, Walk. {AhiJwshi-IramKshiga.) 



In Formosa this species was first described by the author as a new 

 ■species belonging to the genus Susica in the year 1912, but after careful 

 studies he found that it is the same as TJiosea sinensis, Walk., but there 

 is a little doubt of the genus. 



The Nettle-grub is commonly found on the tea bush throughout the 

 Northern belt of Formosa, but it has not been noticed as doing much 

 damage. It also attacks orange and Acacia sp.; it is, however, a very 

 minor pest of these. 



The larva is one of largest Formosan Limacodidae, and is a rather 

 active (for this group) fleshy green caterpillar with a white dorsal stripe 

 bordered with a green tinge, and with four pairs of red dot-like spots, 

 and with red spiracles on each side. There are two rows of smaU tuber- 

 jcles bearing short stinging spines on the back, and on each side a very 

 conspicuous series of spines set the whole length of the body. This 

 caterpillar appears in May or September in the Plains, and the pest 

 is at its height during the next one or two months and often into the 

 €old weather in December and even later. 



When full-grown the caterpillar measures about 30 mm. in length, 

 and about 15 mm. in width. The dorsum is broadly longitudinally 

 elevated at the middle throughout the whole length, this elevation 

 being greatest at about one-third. The head is comparatively small 

 and brown ; the first somite is almost always hidden below the second 

 somite. The dorsal stripe is yellow, and is bordered with a greenish- 

 white stripe at the side, this greenish- white stripe being curved at each 

 segmentation. On each somite from the second to eleventh there are 

 four tubercles of which the lateral pair are conspicuous and somewhat 

 conical, bearing a long tuft of thick spines from which project the black 

 and yellowish green stinging bristles ; the dorsal pair are small and 

 from each tubercle projects eight (on an average) green spines, tipped 

 with a yellowish tinge, which bear tiny black bristles. On the twelfth 

 somite there are two large tubercles which bear spines and bristles 

 similar to the others, and are larger than those at the side. The red 

 dorsal spots are usually seven to eight pairs in number but sometimes 

 only one pair, the third pair being largest and most conspicuous. 



The larval stage occupies about 53 days in the summer season, and 

 about 65 or more days in the winter time. The full-grown caterpillar 

 almost always comes down to the ground and begins to make a brownish 



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