EUPLCEIN^. 31 



Food Plants of Larva. — Feeds on Asclejv'as ; Calotropis ; and Tluija. 



Life Histoet. — The following notes on the rearing of this insect are given by 

 Dr. R. W. Forsayeth (Trans. Ent. Soc. 1884, p. 381):— "Mhow, Sept. 12, 

 1881. — Found the larvse on a creeper or vine with stout woody stem and 

 greenish-yellow bark, leaves broad, smooth, and pointed at extremity. This vine 

 grew close to a tree in my garden and clung to its branches. All the specimens 

 I bred were obtained from this one plant. The larva is a pale yellowish- 

 green, ribbed with black transverse lines ; black markings also on the head ; it has 

 four smooth black fleshy horns, two anteriorly and two posteriorly. The larvge 

 possess no irritating powers ; they curl up and simulate death for some moments 

 when handled. A fine web attaches them by the prolegs to the leaf on which they 

 are at the time feeding. The pup^ are attached by the tail only ; colour at first 

 green, but in a day or two numerous patches of gold of most brilliant lustre appear 

 on the body and head ; and a crescentic line of dots. The perfect insects appeared 

 from Sept. 26th to Oct. 20th, from two different broods of larvas found on the same 

 plant. Of these two were females and five males. The pouch of the male opens 

 from the upper side of the wing, and contains a fine granular powder like plumbago, 

 quite inodorous. The males also possess a dense tuft of long yellow hairs like a 

 brush at each side of last segment of abdomen, but underneath the cuticle; I never 

 saw them protruded, and am unacquainted with their use." 



Geographical Distribution. — This species has a very wide range, being found 

 in the driest as well as the dampest localities. In the extreme North-west of our limits 

 it has been taken by the late Dr. Bayne Reed in Kashmir; by Major J. W. Yerbury 

 (Ann. Nat. Hist. 1888, 132) at Khairabad in July; at Allahabad and Rawul Pindi 

 by Capt. H. B. Hellard ; in the Kangra Di.strict by Eev. J. H. Hocking; and in 

 Kulu, according to Mr. A. G. Young, it is common in some years, rare in others, 

 occurring in May, August, and October ; in the Simla district by Colonel A. M. Lang 

 (Ann. Nat. Hist. 1864, 131); Mr. W. Doherty (J.A.S. Beng. 1886, 113) took it at 

 Ranibagh at the foot of the Kumaon Hills. North-eastward, Major-Genl. G. 

 Ramsay obtained it in Nepal, and in Sikkim it is stated by Mr. De Niceville (J.A.S. 

 Beng. 1883, 92) to have been taken by the late Mr. Otto Miiller, who met with some 

 few specimens in the Terai and Runjit Valley. It is found throughout the plains of 

 N. India, being on the wing nearly all the year round, extending Westward into Sind, 

 and by Col. C. Swinhoe (P.Z.S. 1884, 504) was " taken at Karachi, plentifully, in 

 July of 1 882, after the unusually heavy rains of the summer of that year, though 

 not usually found there or along the coast, as not a single specimen was taken 

 during the whole of 1879 or 1880 ; subsequently, however, it has become quite a 

 common insect during the months of July and August, since the introduction of 

 the Mulleer Water-works into Karachi, and the consequent increase of vegetation. 



