Insects. 7289 



Description of the Larva of Hadena Pisi. — Rolls in a ring when distuvbed. A 

 very beautiful larva. Head shining, very pale green ; a broad median stripe on the 

 back olive-green, most delicately irrorated and margined with black ; on each side of 

 this a narrower stripe of bright clear yellow ; again, below the yellow stripe a broader 

 stripe of olive-green, which, like the median stripe, is delicately irrorated and mar- 

 gined with black ; then follows, on each side, a narrower stripe, the upper half of 

 which is white, the lower half yellow ; this stripe includes (he spiracles: belly pale 

 green, irrorated with black along the spiracular line ; legs and claspers pale green. 

 After the last change of skin, the green parts frequently become rich purple-brown. 

 Feeds on Pteris aquilina generally. Found by Mr. Thomas Huckett, feeding on 

 Betula alba (birch). Full fed 29th Seipiemher.— Edward Newman. 



Description of the Larva of Hadena contigua. — Rolls in a ring when touched, but 

 soon unrolls itself and commences crawling with great rapidity. Head shining, dingy 

 green, reticulated with rufous-brown : body orange-ochre, inclining to rufous on the 

 back, dingy yellowish green on the sides and belly : the rufous hue of the back is due 

 to reticulated markings, which are crowded and clustered in certain parts so as to form 

 a series of eleven Vs down the middle, the apex of each V pointing towards the tail ; 

 a narrow and interrupted rufous stripe includes the spiracles. Feeds on Betula alba 

 (birch) and Quercus Robur (oak). Full fed on the 26th September.— /</. 



Description of the Larva of Xylocampa lithorhiza. — Rolls in a ring when touched. 

 Attenuated towards the head, and having the segments slightly prominent and well 

 defined. Pale wainscot-brown, with a still paler median dorsal stripe ; on the 8th 

 segment is an ill-defined dark brown blotch on the back, and there are several irregu- 

 lar narrow dark lines on each side. Feeds on Lonicera periclymenum (honeysuckle), 

 and is full fed on the 5th July. I am indebted to the Rev. J. Hellins for this larva. 

 —Id. 



Description of the Larva of Erastria venustula. — Does not roll in a ring or appear 

 to feign death: smooth velvety, rather tumid in the 4th and 5ih segment?;, and evi- 

 dently connected at the interstices of the segments : colour purplish brown, with a 

 paler median dorsal stripe indistinct throughout, and almost obliterated on the 3rd and 

 4th segments ; there is also a rounded spot of the same pale colour as the median stripe 

 on each side of the 5th segment. Feeds on the yellow blossoms of Tormentilla vul- 

 garis (the common tormentil), and spins a slight cocoon on the surface of the earth 

 about the 26th of August, when it is full fed. I am indebted to Mr. C. J. Biggs for 

 tbisilai-va. — Id. 



Description^ ^e Larva of Abrostola Urticce. — Never rolls in a ring, but some- 

 times feigns death and falls off its food when disturbed, assuming a bent posture. 

 Attenuated in front, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th segments being attenuated and stretched 

 out leech-like in walking ; the 5th, 6th and 7lh segments are tumid on the back, 

 scarcely humped; the 8th, 9th and 10th segments rather tumid and very convex on 

 the back ; the 12th segment is humped, quadrate, and terminating in two sharp short 

 distant points directed backward ; between this and the 13th segment, is slightly 

 concave, and the hind claspers are passed under the body in walking. Prevailing 

 colour clear pale green, mixed with white-green on the back, and not varied with 

 brown ; the clear green forms an interrupted median stripe of shuttle-shaped markings 

 down the back, one on each segment ; also two broad oblique marks of the same green 

 on each segment, distant in front, but approximate behind, and forming something 

 like V-shaped markings pointing backward ; a narrow white stripe along the middle 



XVIII. 3 s 



