AND THEIR TKANSFOllMATIONS. 21 



CHELEPTEIIYX.* 



Ohdepterij.v, G. R. Gray, Trans. Unt, Soc. Lond, Vol. 1. p. 122. 



Ghaleptenjx, Brit. Mns. Cat. Lop. Hct. p. 913. 



Safumia, Feistliamel. 



Fedra, AYallcngrcn, Eugenics Uesa, p. '6G^. 



Atelongas, apiid medium sat late, auticfc subconvexsE, apice subi-ectangulari acuminato ^et in posticis angulum antica- 

 rum posteriorem superante. Mas. : Aiiticso trigouie, margino exteriore undulato obliqiio ; postioto apud marginem cxtcriorcm 

 vix imdulatas, subrotundatoe. Fcem. : Antic® sublanceolata3, marginc exterioro obliquo ot apud angulum posteriorem rotundataj ; 

 posticae snbrotundatiB ct apud marginem exteriorem subdenticulatai. Corpus pilosum, in maribus modicc, in foemiuis valdc 

 robustum. Abdomen alas postioas vix superans. Antemise long®, in maribus late, in foeminis vix bipectinata;. Palpi porreeti, 

 caput superantes; in mariljus sat robusti, in fccminis tcnues; articulus terminalis et ba.salis parvi, subasquales; 2'i>" bis longior. 

 MaxiUiE obsoleta;. Pedes sat validi ; tibia; intermedite duobus, ct postcriores quatuor caloaribus parvis. Larva robusta, 

 oylindrica, elongata, pilosa, maculis midtis verrucosis setas omittentibus. 



Wings long, rather broad across tlie middle, slightly convex in front, tips sub-rectangular, pointed, and in the hind wings 

 produced to some distance beyond the interior angle of fore wings. J&te— Pore wings trigonate, exterior margin undulating, 

 obUquc ; hind wings slightly undulating and moderately rounded at the exterior margin. Female—ioi-c -syings somewhat lanceo- 

 late, oblique at the exterior margin, much rounded at the hinder angle ; hind wings moderately rounded, somewhat denticu- 

 lated along the exterior margin. 15ody pilose, )«»7e— moderately stout ; female— stout. Abdomen reaching to even or slightly 

 bi-yond the hind wings. Antenna;, long, bipeetinatcd ; in the male strongly, female slightly. Palpi, porrectod forwards beyond 

 the head, in the male moderately stout, female slender ; terminal and basal joints small, nearly equal ; 2ud joint twice tlie 

 length of either. Maxilla? obsolete. Legs moderately stout, 2nd pairs witii 2, and posterior pairs with 4 small spurs on tibiic. 

 Larva stout, cylindrical, elongated, pilose, with numerous whorls of verruoose spots emitting setic. 



SPECIES l.-OHELBPTEBTX OOLLESl. -(Plate 7.) 

 Glieleptenjx GolUsi, G-. R. Gray. 

 Saiumia Laplacei, Feistiiamel. 

 Festra ajfahricata, Wallengren, Eugenies Resa. 



Of all the Lepidoptera that have come under our notice, the Caterpillars and Cocoons of the C. CoUesi are pre-eminently 

 the most noxious, being armed at all points with stiff bristles and short fine exceedingly sharp hairs, wliioh by careless haudliiig 

 wdll puncture and adhere flrmly to the skin, thereby causing considerable annoyance and irritation similar in eircet to that expe- 

 rienced by contact with the minute bristly spines of the Prickly Pear. (Opuntia Vulgaris.) 



Apparently powerful and robust as the larva; are in their natural state, we have always found dillicultv in rearin" them 

 after they have passed a certain advanced stage of growth ; for although well supplied with fresh food and otherwise carefully 

 tended, they still become restless, wander about the box, refuse all nutriment and quickly perish, indicating that we arc eitlier not 

 fully acquainted with their wants, or that they wdll not bear the close confinement to which under the circumstances they must 

 necessarily be subjected. This difficulty of maturing them in captivity however is of no great moment, for their metamorphoses 

 can be easily observed out of doors, from the profusion in which the caterpillars and cocoons are to be met with. 



The larva; affect only one plant, the Eucalyptus, and even of this extensive genus but one or two species seem to please 

 their fastidious palates. On the stems of such trees they may be seen during the day time in summer, congregated in some 

 numbers waiting for the evening, their period for activity and repast. They arc exceedingly handsome, and when arrived at full 

 maturity about the largest and most powerful oaterpillar we are acquainted with in this Colony, measuring fully G inches in 

 lenfth and very robust in form. The general colour is of a rich satiny brown, produced by a thick-set glossy coating of short, 

 fine, depressed hairs. Each segment, with the exception of the first, contains a whorl of 8 yellow verrucose spots, the second and 

 third seoTnents however bearing two additional dorsal spots placed immediately before the others ; the upper portion of the 1st 

 segment is occupied by a raised yellow band with a tubercle of the same colour at each end ; this baud and the Avholc of the 

 yellow verrvicoso spots emit tufts of stiff longish brown-coloured bristles, those immediately above the legs and head intermixed 

 with leni-thcned white hairs. The caudal extremity and two raised bands placed between the legs for the whole length of the 

 caterpillar, are also yellow and thickly set wdth rigid brown bristles. In consequence of the bands and additional tubercles the 

 anterior and posterior portions are much more setigcrous than the intermediate space. When immature the larva is of a light 

 reddish colour and covered with grayish patches ; not of that rich dark satiny brown which it afterwards assumes. 



G 



