SPHINaiD.E OF PEEU. 107 



A moderately common species on the seaboard, but very often met with in the 

 Interior, the moths being readily drawn to light. From time to time the moth would 

 be taken in the immediate vicinity of arc lamps in Lima ; and its attitude when at rest 

 is somewhat remarkable, the fore wings, though so narrow, completely covering the 

 other pair, and being held out of plane and at a wide angle from the body. As is 

 usual in all such cases, it tends to deceive the eye, resembling a piece of rag or scrap of 

 discoloured paper. 



The larva, like that of C. porcellus in appearance and habit, requires diligent search 

 amongst the Spermacoce growing in the ditches at the roadside and along the courses of 

 the water aceqidas which intersect the fields. Frass black and disproportionately large, 

 its hexagonal form being somewhat obscured in full growth. Puparium amongst leaves 

 and roots on the surface, held together by a few stout threads of glutinous silk. Pupa 

 very active. 



Ova. — Singly on under side of leaves of Spermacoce. 



Larva, — Early stages (first and second instars unfigured) invariably the light green 

 of the under surface of the leaf, with long thin black tail. 



Third instar (figs. «, o). Generally green, rarely Avarm olive with madder beneath. 

 Six oblique white (or light) stripes mark the sides, the last on segments 11 and 12 

 leading up to the base of the caudal horn being, as usual, the most prominent. Horn 

 very slightly upturned, moderate in length, sharp, black with pink base. The dorsal 

 area from head to horn is enclosed by a couple of longitudinal bands which run from 

 yellow to white. These bands are interrupted in seven places by slightly oval ocelli 

 on the anterior portion of segments 5 to 11 inclusive, and are at this stage red and 

 yellow in black rings, especially when the ground-colour is green. The pair on 

 segment 5, which is swollen to receive the retractile front segments, is always the 

 largest and most prominent with black centres. 



Final instar (figs, p, g). Dark sepia, or rarely dark olive-green, with short straight 

 black spike for horn, like our C. elpenor, but strikingly dissimilar from its closer ally 

 X. titana (ante). Body also similar to elpenor, smooth and dark-freckled. Head very 

 small, leg-segments much tapered, segment 5 much swollen. Longitudinal and 

 oblique bands now ochreous and clouded. Ocelli black, with ochre beneath and 

 a touch of violet above. Legs light ; ventral area, claspers, and anal portion 

 dark. 



Pupa (PI. XV, figs, n, o). — Bone-coloured with broad medio-dorsal black stripe, 

 tapering to nothing at extremities. Spiracular spots large, black, and defined. 

 Wing-cases adorned with delicate black dots and lines. Antennae, legs, eyes, and 

 proboscis-sheath similarly variegated. Cremaster a prominent curved spike. 



p 2 



