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  There 
  are 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  Anaphe 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Congo, 
  of 
  which 
  

   A. 
  infracta 
  and 
  A. 
  venata 
  are 
  most 
  widely 
  distributed, 
  and 
  from 
  a 
  

   commercial 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  important. 
  The 
  

   adults 
  emerge 
  twice 
  a 
  year, 
  in 
  September 
  and 
  in 
  January. 
  The 
  Ufa 
  

   of 
  the 
  perfect 
  insect 
  is 
  very 
  short 
  ; 
  the 
  males 
  die 
  soon 
  after 
  pairing 
  and 
  

   the 
  females 
  soon 
  after 
  oviposition, 
  which 
  lasts 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  days. 
  The 
  

   female 
  does 
  not 
  fly 
  far 
  from 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  emergence 
  and 
  is 
  generally 
  

   to 
  be 
  found 
  either 
  on 
  the 
  nest 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  bush 
  or 
  tree 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  ia 
  

   attached. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  generally 
  laid 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  

   leaves 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  larvae 
  feed, 
  and 
  are 
  arranged 
  in 
  heaps 
  of 
  200-300, 
  

   being 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  female 
  with 
  a 
  protective 
  layer 
  of 
  hairs 
  from 
  the 
  

   end 
  of 
  her 
  abdomen. 
  When 
  the 
  caterpillar 
  has 
  reached 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  

   j&fteen 
  days 
  each 
  segment 
  of 
  its 
  body 
  bears 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  fine 
  whitish 
  hairs 
  

   or 
  spines 
  which 
  are 
  very 
  easily 
  detached 
  and 
  break 
  at 
  the 
  sHghtest 
  

   touch 
  ; 
  on 
  being 
  handled, 
  these 
  hairs 
  produce 
  a 
  most 
  intense 
  and 
  

   intolerable 
  itching. 
  So 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  author 
  is 
  aware, 
  the 
  larvae 
  moult 
  

   six 
  or 
  possibly 
  seven 
  times. 
  They 
  do 
  not 
  move 
  about 
  much 
  during 
  

   the 
  day, 
  and 
  avoid 
  bright 
  Hght, 
  feeding 
  generally 
  at 
  night. 
  They 
  

   have 
  been 
  taken 
  on 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  plants, 
  namely, 
  Cynometra 
  

   alexandri, 
  Triumfetta 
  macrophylla, 
  Alhizzia 
  fastigiata, 
  Macrolobium 
  

   dewevrei 
  and 
  Afromorsia 
  elata 
  ; 
  but 
  Bridelia 
  micrantha, 
  which 
  is 
  exceed- 
  

   ingly 
  widespread 
  over 
  the 
  whole 
  Congo 
  area, 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  food- 
  

   plant 
  par 
  excellence. 
  The 
  hfe 
  of 
  the 
  caterpillar 
  is 
  about 
  six 
  or 
  eight 
  

   weeks. 
  

  

  The 
  nests 
  of 
  Anaphe 
  infracta 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  rusty 
  red 
  and 
  are 
  composed 
  of 
  

   layers 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  the 
  external 
  envelope 
  resembles 
  a 
  sheet 
  of 
  paper, 
  

   varying 
  in 
  thickness 
  from 
  tissue 
  to 
  heavy 
  brown 
  paper 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  

   very 
  fragile 
  and 
  sometimes 
  fairly 
  tough. 
  The 
  next 
  layer 
  is 
  composed 
  

   of 
  several 
  layers 
  of 
  silk 
  (ten 
  to 
  fifteen), 
  and 
  when 
  cut 
  across, 
  these 
  may 
  

   be 
  opened 
  out 
  almost 
  hke 
  leaves 
  of 
  a 
  book. 
  The 
  third 
  envelope, 
  

   also 
  formed 
  of 
  several 
  layers 
  of 
  silk, 
  but 
  closely 
  attached 
  to 
  one 
  

   another, 
  has 
  very 
  much 
  the 
  texture 
  of 
  parchment 
  ; 
  this 
  envelope 
  is 
  

   hard 
  and 
  exceedingly 
  unpleasant 
  to 
  handle, 
  as 
  it 
  contains 
  the 
  urticating 
  

   hairs 
  of 
  the 
  caterpillars. 
  

  

  The 
  nests 
  of 
  Anaphe 
  venata 
  are 
  coffee-coloured 
  and 
  may 
  even 
  be 
  

   the 
  colour 
  of 
  milk 
  ; 
  they 
  have 
  only 
  one 
  envelope, 
  and 
  cause 
  no 
  irrita- 
  

   tion 
  when 
  handled. 
  

  

  Anaphe 
  has 
  several 
  enemies, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  are 
  

   the 
  natives 
  themselves, 
  who 
  are 
  very 
  fond 
  of 
  eating 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  

   and 
  chrysalids 
  roasted. 
  Three 
  species 
  of 
  birds 
  feed 
  on 
  the 
  cater- 
  

   pillars, 
  namely, 
  Chrysococcyx 
  cupreus, 
  Pycnonotus 
  layardi 
  and 
  Motacilla 
  

   campestris. 
  These 
  birds 
  do 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  the 
  least 
  affected 
  by 
  

   the 
  stinging 
  hairs. 
  Of 
  insect 
  pests, 
  a 
  Chalcid, 
  Telenomus 
  goivdeyi, 
  

   parasitises 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  is 
  itself 
  parasitised 
  by 
  Pleurotropis 
  telenomi. 
  

   The 
  chrysalis 
  is 
  attacked 
  by 
  an 
  Ichneumonid, 
  Oneilella 
  (Cryptus) 
  

   formosa, 
  which 
  is 
  very 
  common 
  in 
  tropical 
  Africa. 
  The 
  female 
  bores 
  

   through 
  the 
  nests 
  and 
  cocoons 
  with 
  its 
  ovipositor 
  and 
  lays 
  its 
  eggs 
  

   in 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  pupa. 
  According 
  to 
  Kiiller 
  the 
  perfect 
  Ichneumons 
  

   emerge 
  after 
  the 
  moths. 
  Schultze 
  says 
  that 
  Oneilella 
  lays 
  its 
  eggs 
  upon 
  

   the 
  caterpillars. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  food-plant 
  of 
  Anaphe, 
  Bridelia 
  micrantha, 
  is 
  a 
  euphor- 
  

   biaceous 
  plant 
  which 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  abundance 
  in 
  the 
  Lower 
  Congo 
  and 
  is 
  

   cultivated 
  in 
  Uganda 
  by 
  the 
  African 
  Silk 
  Corporation 
  for 
  rearing 
  these 
  

  

  