14 AUSTRALIAN LEPTDOPTERA 



specimen inhal)iting tlic common rcod, l'ln;,<iwilr^ mmmnuis. As tlH> spcci.'s now mnlcr consideration is of very rommon occun-cnco, 

 the Ki-accful foliage of the Palms suff-T greatly l.y its linages, the fol.le,! leallels luing weighed together in every direction to 

 form the liaiatations of the caterpillars, who issue theiiee and devour all the iealiets m their nnmediate vicinity, and thus m time 

 imi)art a ragged and dislievell(>d appearaiiee to the preMOusly n.n nnnetrical leaf. The full grown caterpillar measures ahout 

 \i inches, and is throughout of a very delicate transparent i.luish green, witli two .■oii>picuous yellow si.ots on the ninth segment, 

 and yellow stigmata. The Ixxly is attenuated ; the head large, horny, and fawn-eoloured, with hiaek markings, and during repose 

 placed even with the body: the tail Hat, and fringed with fine whitish liair. Previous to the transfoi mation to the chrysalis, the 

 caterpillar strengthens the silken \\el)hing and closes the apertuie of it^ dwelling. 



The chrysalis (llg. 1) is 1 inch in length, delieate greenish white in colour, dusted with a powdery substance,* and of 

 slender form ; two small black spots are placed obli(iuely on caeh sid(^ of each ai)doininal segment, and the abdomen and head 

 are both furnished with reddish cilia. 



The Antenna (lig. '2) long, elavate, and strongly hooked at the extremity. 



The Labial palin (ligs. o, -1, and 5) robust, iirqjecting upwards a little beyond the toiis of the e\es ; three-jointed, second joint 

 twice the length of the basal, and both deiiselx clothed with thick hairs; terminal short, obtuse, and 

 covered with hairs. 



The Leijs : anterior pair spurless ; seeond ))air with two spurs, and posterior pair dig. Cii with spurs on middle and 



ape\ of tiiiia'. Tarsi fne jointed, with long scales and bristles beneath, terminated l)y two claws, each 

 having a long hair above ; pulvilli small. 



The perfect insect is diurnal, and like the other members of this group, rapid and erratic in its mo\ements; it ri'sts either 

 with all the wings elevated, or with the up})er \nny elevated and the lower horizontal. 



The upper surface of the female is throughout rich bronze brown, and across the centre of both wings, conimeucing at the 

 inner margin and running towards the tips, is a band of dull yellow, fornu'd into spots or patches by the nervures ; and also two 

 subcostal dull yellow patches on the upper wings; the marginal fringe is dull vellow. Abdomen and head roliust, dark brown, 

 with yellowish hair. 



Tlie upper surface of the male is also rich dark brown, but the dull yellow" spots and markings of the female are here 

 replaced by continuous but irregular transverse bands of golden yellow, and the marginal fringe is also golden yellow. Head, 

 thorax, and abdomen shining golden brown. 



A small portion of the frond or leaf, the flower spathe and ripe seeds of Livistona australis are shown on the plate ; also the 

 caterpillar and both sexes of the perfect insect. 



ACiARISTA LKWIXl, ISoisi-ln m,. (I'Lite XV.) 



Aijiu-lsta Leiriuii, iJoiMlmal, \'oy. df 1 AstroL-iljc, lOnl., p. 1 7(; (lei:i2). 

 LiKK-lilsTOKV : MrCoy, I'lud. /ool. of \'ictoii:i, 1,, p. liT (IS7S). 



As yet we have only found this Agarista in its larval state, at Ash Island, where from September to March it was tolerablv 

 abundant on the Hpdohuun jnncnun and the imported J-notheras. The presence, however, of the imago in manv other localities 

 proves that its range must be considerable. ! ' ' 



^VlIeu mature the lar 

 their anterior 



mature the larva measures ahout 1 ■ inches, and is throughout very pal., vellow ; the first three segments have on 

 edges a series of slu.rt irregular black bands, and also som.. delicate pencillings of black ; the remaining segments 

 are occupied with numerous irregular black transverse bands, terminating above the stigmata, which aie each encircled hv a black 

 ring connected below with a comma-shaped black marking. The whole pattern bears a resemblance to Chinese characters. On 

 tlie penuHiniate segment is a connected iw of slightly raised spots of bright orange ivd ; the head and upper portion of the first 



St^,nrT'''''';'T ",":■"'' '"T ^ ' '"'■' "*■ ^■'— -lourovertheciudalL; thoracic .Vet 

 black, legs pale yellow ; a whorl oi fine whitish hairs i)roceeds from each se'^meiit. 



♦[Mr. Mathew states tliat tliis powdfry matter exudes from beneath the nintli, te.itli, and eleventh s,..r„„.„t. ,.f .. , 



the pupa state. He also observed that the eggs are g]obui;r, sl,ini,,<V ;,,""« Mvei" T" "" "' T'"'"''"' '^^'^'"'''^ '''^ '^'""'^'^" '" 



o' "• i^'nic j^icLMiisn \oiio\v HI colour. 



t [In tlie summer of 1si;g, 1 fuuml a liealtliy biuod of tlie l,u vje at Jleuiiidie Divlnv Hi. ,. t v 



cuuiun, i^uJing Kn^r, feeding on tlie common Balsam.— H.F.] 



