XIII, D. 4 Wileman: Japanese Lepidoptera 157 



Lymantria aurora Butler, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (1878), IV, 20, 

 403; 111. Typ. Lep. Het. (1878), 2, 11, PI. 24, fig. 5, $; Pryer, Trans. 

 Asiat. Soc. Japan (1885), 12, 50, No. 170; Staudinger, Rom. Mem. 

 Lep. (1892), 6, 312; Matsumura, Japanese Injurious Insects [Nihon 

 Gaichiihen (Jap.)] (1899), 38, PI. 46, figs. 1 and 2, imago, .j" and y; 

 fig. 3, cocoon; fig. 4, larva; fig. 5, pupa; Staudinger and Rebel, 

 Cat. Lep. Pal. (1901), 1, 117, No. 930a; Swinhoe, Trans. Ent. Soc. 

 London (1903), 488; Strand, Seitz's Macrolep. Faun. Pal. (1911), 

 2, 128, PI. 20e, c? and 5. 



Lymantria aurora var. fusca Leiech, Proc. Zool. Soc. London (1888), 

 629, No. 239, PI. 81, fig. 9, <?; Strand, Seitz's Macrolep. Faun. Pal. 

 (1911), 2, 128, PI- 20e, c?; Sasaki, Insects Injurious to Japanese 

 Trees [Nihon Jumaku Gaichuhen (Jap.)], 3d ed. (1910), Pt. 2, 50, 

 PI. 98, imago, S and 2, larva. 



The larva figured (Plate I, fig. 7) was taken at Kobe, Settsu 

 Province, Honshu, in June (figured June 19), 1901, on evergreen 

 oak, Japanese name, kashi (Quercus acuta Thunb.). It pupated 

 on June 22, and a female of form aurora Butler emerged from 

 the pupa on July 8. I bred the female form of aurora also from 

 a similar larva on July 11, 1901. I have not bred typical mathura, 

 so far, from the few larvee reared. I have also taken the larva on 

 hazeno-ki {Rhus succedanea L.), at Kosadake-machi, Higo Prov- 

 ince, Kyushu. Matsumura gives as food pla,nts the following 

 trees: Ko-nara (Quercus glandulifera Bl.), kashhva {Quercus 

 dentata Thunb.), and keyaki (Zelkowa acuminata Lind.). I 

 found a larva on kashiwa at Yokohama on July 2. 



The larva of aurora is an example of procryptic colors aff"ord- 

 ing a general protective resemblance. This is defined by Poul- 

 ton ^ as "concealment as a protection against enemies, effected 

 by colors which harmonize with the total artistic effect of the 

 immediate environment." The colors of the larva assimilate 

 well with the bark of the trees on which it feeds, and it is often 

 to be seen lying quiescent in some numbers on the trunks of such 

 trees. Besides being protected from attack by its barklike resem- 

 blance, it is also protected by its urticating hairs, and on this 

 account it must be handled with caution, or the results may be 

 unpleasant. 



The following description is taken from my original figure: 



Larva. — Length, 80 millimeters. Grayish brown, bark- 

 colored; head deep brown with lighter streaks; dorsum various 

 shades of light yellowish brown and gray, ringed with lighter 

 whitish gray at the segmental sutures; anal segment whitish 

 gray; a longitudinal, medial, brownish dorsal line, interrupted, 

 more or less, at the segmental sutures and there edged on 



■ "Vide This Journal, Sec. D (1914), 9, Table I, facing p. 248. 



