Butterflies and Moths. 409 
suitable support with its second and third pairs of legs, raises up the 
forepart of its body, while the palpi project like a snout. In this 
position it considerably resembles certain snouted homoptera—insects of 
the plant-bug tribe. The most curious resting posture [I can mention is 
that of the burra-burra social moth, also a Pyralid, a species of Lineodes. 
It brings its two forelegs together and sets them well forward, sticks its 
wings off at an angle of about GO° with the sides, and throws its antennze 
stiffly back over the thorax, so that they lie between the body and the 
root of the hind-wings, and touch the surface on which the moth rests. 
while the abdomen is curled back, sometimes far enough to touch the 
head. 
Certain very small moths of another family instead of being tilted 
up headwise when at rest are tilted up tailwise, so that they appear to 
be engaged in a profound study of the object on which they are posted. 
Curious resemblances are brought about with some moths when at 
rest. For instance, Gonodonta clothilda, a Noctuid that frequents shady 
localities, rests on the upper surface of leaves head-down, and with wings 
held roof-lke. In this position it certainly looks like an inanimate 
object. In fact, it exactly resembles a lump of bird droppings, the white 
colour of the head and palpi causing it to appear as though the softer 
constituents of the droppings had begun to run down in obedience to the 
law of gravitation. 
Butterflies and moths in their feeding habits do not linit their bill 
of fare to the nectar of flowers, but include also over-ripe and decaying 
fruits, honey-dew, the moisture on damp earth, the sap that exudes from 
wounded trees, fresh bird droppings, &e. Ina few instances they even 
attack ripe or unripe fruit still hanging on trees, and sometimes do great 
damage. Accordingly, the belief that butterflies and moths are injurious 
to the agriculturist only in their larval or caterpillar stage is not in all 
cases correct. About two years ago in an issue of the “Field” a 
number of instances was brought together of butterflies aud moths 
having injured fruit in the United States and in the southern parts of 
Africa. The fruits named were apples, quinces, and oranges, as well as 
peaches, plums, and grapes. Some of the oranges were a thick-skinned 
variety, and were still green. They punctured the fruits with their 
proboscis and sucked up the juices, a section through the part attacked 
showing a mass of fibres with all the juice extracted. In a case recorded 
from Africa hundreds of butterflies were said to be present, as many as 
seven or eight being often seen on one orange. The moth deseribed as 
having damaged orange crops in the United States was a species of 
Ophideres, and it may be noted that we have Ophiderids in this colony. 
The commonest of them is Argadesa maturna, an Eastern moth that in 
some way or other has found its way into the West. From June to 
August gone this moth and its larvae were rather plentiful, Of course, 
for a butterfly or a moth to be capable of puncturing a hard green fruit, 
if is necessary that it have a strong sharp proboscis. 
