LIFE HISTORIES OF SOME PHILIPPINE CASSIDID/E. 



By W. SCHULTZE. 



(From the Entomological Section, Biological Lahoratory, Bureau of Science, 



Manila, P. I.) 



IKTEODUCTION. 



During the months of Wovember and December, 1907, my attention 

 was attracted by the abundant apjDearance of certain species of Oassididce 

 on plants in the vicinity of Manila. This opportunity as well as the 

 interesting accounts of this family by Muir and Sharp ^ induced me to 

 work out some life histories of Philippine Oassididce. I wish to express 

 my thanks to Mr. J. Weise, Berlin, who was so kind as to identify the 

 species described in this paper. 



Priopteka sinuata Oliv. (PI. VI, fig. 2). 



Prioptera sinuata Oliv., Bnoyl. M6th., (1790) V, 392. 



Egg: The eggs are always laid singly on the underside of the leaves. 

 The female at first deposits a thin layer of a gelatinous substance upon 

 the leaf, and this, coming in contact vnthTthe air, dries very quickly. 

 She then lays her eggs upon this substance and covers them with another, 

 very thin, gelatinous layer. The egg is thus inclosed in a fiat, semi- 

 transparent case. (PI. I, fig. 1.) An irregular, roof -like cover is placed 

 over the whole length of the primary ease, fastened to the egg-case by 

 one end only, the latter being pointed. This upper layer has an undu- 

 lating structure. (PL I, fig. 2.) In the majority of cases,^ a few 

 particles of excrement are found on the upper cover. 



Larva: The young larva of P. sinuata Oliv., when newly hatched, is 

 yellowish, the head light brown; later, but before the first molt, the 

 general color becomes light brown; head, black; the chitinous plates on 

 the prothoracic segment and the two large subanal spikes, also black. 

 The larva has eight dull-pointed, curved and fleshy spines on the pro- 

 thoracic and two short tubercles and two curved spines on each of the 

 meso- and metathoracic segments ; first to sixth abdominal segments, each 



^ Trans. Ent. Sac. London, (1904), 1-21, pis. 1-5. 



^My statement is based upon the observation of about 250 egg-cases of this 

 species. 



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