1904] E. P. Stebbing — Life-Hist., ^"c.^ of moth Duomitus leuconotus. 29 



probably a short one — at the most from six weeks to two months. Pupae 

 were found fully mature and also but newly changed from larvse early 

 in September, but they had all issued by the end of tlie third week in 

 the following month. The hole bored to the outside by the larva is 

 more or less vertical, only inclining to the horizontal just near the bark, 

 so that the pupa, when the moth is ready to emerge, creeps up the 

 tunnel and projects from it at an angle at right angles to the stem of 

 the tree. In doing this the pupa bends over at an angle, the upper 

 half being almost horizontal, whilst the lower portion remains in the 

 almost perpendicular tunnel. The pupal skin then splits down at its 

 anterior end both dorsally and ventrally as far as the posterior edge of 

 the last thoracic segments and the moth crawls out. In the cleavage 

 the head and antennal covering comes away as one piece. 



It has been said that the larvag live in the wood of living trees, and 

 observations have shown that they will desert trees which have been cut 

 down and the wood of which has consequently begun to dry. On the 

 22Qd September of this year my attention was drawn to a small Cassia 

 nodosain. the Indian Museum compound, which was evidently in a dying 

 conditioQ, the spring crop of leaves having all dropped and no new ones 

 having replaced them. Examination showed that the tree was infested 

 by this moth, several holes with half -protruding empty pupal cases 

 being perceivable. The tree was but 15 feet high with a girth of 

 twenty inches at the base. It was much branched all the way up and had 

 a whippy spreading crown. I had this tree cut down and placed in a 

 large wire gauze cage. In addition to two half (or less) grown larvse 

 and some live pupae (taken to preserve in spirits) the following moths 

 were obtained from the stem as they issued on the dates noted. [A 

 portion of this stem, with the empty pupal cases in situ protruding 

 from the bark, is now exhibited in the Insect Pest Gallery at the 

 Museum ; the other half will be sent to the British Museum.] 



$ $ 



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Date of issue. 



22nd 



September, 



1903 



23rd 



5> 



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24th 



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25th 



J> 



J> 



26th 



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27th 



>J 



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29th 



)J, 



5) 



30th 



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)J 



3rd October, 



5> 



4th 



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