284 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



few threads of white silk, forming a weak platform on which it rested 

 to undergo its first ecdysis. The next morning it was already in its 

 second instar. It fed in the same manner, but ate the filaments of the 

 stamens, and more of the corolla than previously. On the 25th, the 

 larva was again stretched out on a slight layer of silk, and, by the 26th, 

 had assumed the third instar. Two days later it was again laid up, and 

 appeared in the fourth instar on the 29th. On the 31st, a fourth 

 platform had been spun, and the fifth instar was assumed on August 1st. 

 Two days later the larva was again undergoing ecdysis, and it appeared 

 in its sixth and last instar on August 4th. At every change it ate the 

 cast skin. This stadium naturally lasted a longer period than those 

 preceding it, but, on August 8th, the umber markings on the larva became 

 pink, and, on the 9th, the larva was more or less suffused with pink,, 

 and went down into earth that evening. About a fortnight later the 

 slender, bright brown, pupa was dug up. It was found, in a rather 

 brittle cocoon, about If inches below the surface. The moth, a <? , 

 was found with fully expanded wings, resting on the top of the box, 

 September 3rd, 1906. Thus, in 46f days, the insect developed from ovum 

 to imago. The weather, during this period, was, on the whole, extremely 

 favourable to rapid development. In its later stadia, the larva still 

 confined itself entirely to the blossoms of the clover, never eating the 

 leaves. It rested usually outstretched among the clover flowers, but 

 with head and prothorax bent downwards. It never attempted to spin 

 the blossoms together, or to conceal itself in any way. It was very 

 sensitive to touch, and moved rapidly if annoyed, but otherwise appeared 

 to be rather of a sluggish disposition. When crawling, even in its first 

 stadium, it used all the ventral prolegs, not in any way half-looping 

 as many small Noctuid larvae are in the habit of doing. 



Larva. — First instar : Length 2-4mm. Width of head 0-28mm. 

 Head small, black, rather rounded in outline, notched on the crown. 

 Body long, slender, pale yellow, covered with black spicules, tegmental 

 divisions well marked. Spiracles large, black-ringed, rather raised. 

 Thoracic legs dark grey, with white rings. Ventral prolegs long and 

 slender, dark grey. Tubercles black, situated on a large dark grey 

 plate, each carrying one black hair, with a slightly swollen grey apex. 

 Prothorax wider than the head ; the deep brown shield carries an 

 anterior and a posterior row of four hairs, the anterior row being 

 the larger. Below the shield, on a common plate, are two tubercles, 

 the front one with a longer curved hair, directed obliquely forwards, 

 the other with a hair about half the length. Below this is the large, 

 much-elevated, spiracle, in front of which is a tubercle with a long 

 straight hair pointing forwards and outwards, and a small tubercle 

 with a very short hair ; both these are on a common plate. Again, 

 below these, are two tubercles with equally long hairs, on a common 

 dark grey plate. On the meso- and metathorax, i, ii, iii, iv, and v 

 form an oblique transverse line, v being the anterior. Below v is 

 another tubercle with a long hair, and there are two hairs at the base 

 of each leg. On the abdominal segments, i, ii, and iii are in the 

 usual positions ; iv lies behind the spiracle, and v below the spiracle. 

 Lower down is a smaller tubercle and hair, which may be either vi or 

 vii. The anal shield is dark brown, with eight black bristles. Second 

 instar: Length 4mm., width of head 0-5mm. Head black, with a 

 few scattered hairs, otherwise smooth and shining. Body slender, 



