No. 3.] Forest trees. 109 



10. Rseselia fola, Swinhoe. Sub-family Nolinse. Family Arctiidae. 

 Plate x, figs. 1, g imago x 2; la, larva front and lateral views 

 X 1%; id, cocoon x i|; ic, pupa X if. 



Proneca fold, Swinhoe, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1^90, p. 195, n. 178, pi. vi, 

 fig. 8, female ; id., Hampson, Fauna British India, moths, vol. i, p. 402(1892), 

 vol. iii, p. 106 (1895). 



Rceselia fola, Hampson, Cat. Lep. Phalcsncs B. M., voL ii s p. 52, n. 105, pi. xix» 

 fig. 24, male (1900). 



Hitherto recorded from Ceylon (Colombo), and Burma (Thyetmyo). 

 Mr. G. C. Dudgeon, to whom the moths were sent for identification 

 asks, u If the larva carries the shed skins of the heads of its former 

 moths upon a tuft of hair attached to the first somite as does its 

 congener of the same section of the genus, R. lignifera, Walker, vide 

 my description published by Sir George Hampson under the synony- 

 mic name of the species, Cyphotopsyche ustipennis, Hampson^ in 

 Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1895, P* 2 97 •*" F rom some larvae of this 

 species preserved in spirit in the Museum it is evident that R. fola 

 when a larva does carry its shed head-cases in the manner described 

 by Mr. Dudgeon. 



Since the note above was written a few caterpillars of this species 

 have been found after much searching on a country almond tree in 

 the neighbourhood of Calcutta. The larvae were aimost full grown 

 when found, all turning to pupae in two days. In appearance they 

 are extremely remarkable, being exactly like a lump of very fine 

 and fluffy cotton wool. They are very conspicuous on the dark green 

 glossy leaves of the tree, but appear to feed only on the lower side 

 of the large leaves, and only eating the tender ones. The body of a 

 larva when full grown is '75 of an inch, but if the long white fluffy 

 hairs are taken into measurement they are a full inch or a little more 

 in length. The segments of the body are entirely hidden by the 

 thick snow-white down with which they are clothed, this down 

 radiating in all directions. It is thicker and longer anteriorly than 

 posteriorly. In one young example with four cast heads the general 

 coloration is pale ochreous instead of snow-white. The head is dark 

 brown. The most interesting feature in the larva is the carrying in a 

 graduated series, the smallest at the top, the shed horny cases of its 

 head thrown off at successive moults. These head-cases are piled 

 up one above the other at right angles to the axis of the body, and 

 are pale ochreous in colour, the only touch of colour the larva shows. 

 These head-cases are supported in position by being mixed with the 

 matted hairs of the second segment. The larva has the usual three 

 pairs of true or thoracic legs, three pairs only of pro or abdominal 

 legs (the usual anterior pair bein^ wanting) and the usual pair of 



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