TRANSFORMATIONS OF SOME SOUTH-AFRICAN LEPIDOPTERA. 311 
yellow) dorsally, darker below ; a white lateral line with numerous small silver-white 
spots sprinkled over, above, and below it, the lower edge of the line is bounded by a 
broad light blue area extending downwards as far as the spiracles from 6th to 10th 
somites. On 3rd somite a pair of large, black, double-pupilled, eye-like spots, the 
pupils being white, surrounded by a blue and a crimson iris. 
Pupa pale ferruginous ; habits and transformation similar to those of C. capensis. 
Duration of pupa state 10th or 11th February to 4th March. 
Subfamily SPHINGIN&. 
15. Proroparce MaAuRiTI, Butler. (Plate XLVIII. figs. 9, 10, larva; fig. 11, 
pupa ; fig. 12, larva, dorsal view of Ist four somites.) 
I am informed at the British Museum that the name Macrosila solani, by which this 
species is usually known in South Africa, should be applied to the Mascarene form. 
Larva. Ground-colour grass-green, under surface darker. Paired humps on Ist 
and 2nd somites; a purple dorsal stripe from 4th somite to horn; lateral oblique 
purple stripes from 4th to 10th somites; these stripes join the dorsal stripe on every 
somite, and are defined inferiorly by parallel narrow white oblique stripes; horn 
ferruginous, long, and beset with yellowish tubercles; spiracles small, red, with black 
centres. Head green, with vertical black stripes on the face and sides, as in larva of 
A. atropos. Thoracic legs black, claspers green. 
Feeds on Duranta plumieri, a common shrub in gardens in Natal; but which, 
according to Mr. Medley Wood, “is included in the flora of Natal by mistake, and is 
most certainly not indigenous.” 
I have also reared a dark form of this larva, which may be described as follows :— 
Ground-colour very pale brown, the oblique purple stripes of the green form being 
represented in this form by oblique stripes of dark violaceous grey covered with 
blackish atoms. Head pink, with lateral and frontal vertical black stripes; first three 
somites pink subdorsally, surmounted by paired dorsal diamond-shaped fuscous spots. 
It will be observed from this description that the head and first three somites of this 
larva bear a striking resemblance to the dark form of the larva of Acherontia atropos. 
Spiracles black ; prolegs and claspers pale brown with fuscous bands ; horn yellow and 
serrated. 
The specimen figured fed on Dahlia variabilis (an imported plant in Natal), 
Pupa. Dark reddish brown, with a long external sheath for the proboscis. ‘The 
transformation is effected underground, where, as in the case of A. atropos, the larva 
constructs a sort of chamber for the pupa. 
Mr. Trimen states “‘ the case of IZ. solani seems to me especially interesting, because 
not only is the larva imitative of that of A. atropos in both forms, but the moth also 
