NOTES ON THE LIFE-HISTORY OF AN EMERALD MOTH, EUCYCLODES 

 METASP1LA. Walker. 



By E. H. ZECK. 

 (Plate XIII.) 



The curiously-shaped larva, illustrated on the accompanying plate, fell from a bush of Angophora 

 cordifolia which was shaken over an open umbrella at Como. New South Wales, in January, 1918. 

 As it lay perfectly motionless where it tell, it closely resembled a broken or partially-eaten fragment 

 of the young foliage. Its light reddish colour, combined with tin- lighter dorsal markings, harmonised 

 sc well with that of the young leaves of its food-plant that it could only be detected with difficulty 

 when replaced upon them. 



This specimen was kept alive in captivity with some branches of the Angophora, and bred out, 

 while the accompanying drawings of it were prepared as it passed through its various stages. It 

 was about full-grown when first secured, and commenced to spin a cocoon three days after its capture ; 

 it pupated two days later, and finally emerged as an adult moth after a further space of nineteen days. 

 For the identification of the moth I am indebted to Mr. George Lyell. 



Family GEOMETR1D.E. 



Subfamily Geometrin.e. 



EUCYC LODES METASPILA. Walker. 



Description of the larva, three days before pupation. (PI. XIII., ligs. 1. 2.). Light reddish brown 

 in colour. The dorsal surface with three lighter, longitudinal markings, which become gradually 

 less distinct anteriorly and posteriorly. Two narrow darker lines extend along the length of the median 

 longitudinal band. Upper surface darker than that of the under, and with two lighter longitudinal 

 bands of colour, which gradually become less distinct towards the extremities of the body. The 

 entire larva has a shagreened or granular appearance, with here and there small protuberances. 



The spiracles have the appearance of small black rings, and are situated as follows : Dorsally and 

 near the posterior lateral margins of the first thoracic segment ; ventrally and near the anterior lateral 

 margins of the first abdominal segment ; dorsally and near the anterior end of the second, third, fourth 

 and fifth abdominal segments ; sub-dorsally and near the lateral margins of the sixth, seventh and 

 eighth abdominal segments. 



Head small and rounded. All the segments, excepting the sixth, seventh and eighth abdominal 

 ones, are almost flat dorsally, being but slightly raised in the centre, and at the lateral edges ; these 

 segments are rounded in the centre ventrally, but slope sharply away to the lateral edges, which are 

 quite thin. Each thoracic segment bears a pair of small legs ventrally. The sixth and seventh 

 abdominal segments are much smaller than the others, and are not flattened dorsally. The sixth 

 abdominal bears a pair of pro-legs. The eighth segment bears a pair of claspers. Above these the 

 dorsal surface is produced backward into a fleshy tubercle, which divides at its extremity, the two 

 ends diverging laterally. 



Dimensions of the full-grown larva. — Length, from the head to the anal claspers, 29 mm. ; width 

 across the second abdominal segment, at the widest part, 7J mm. ; at the intersection of the second 

 and third abdominal segments, }>\ mm. 



