RHAGASTIS. 47 3 



rugose, underside deeply hollowed, ending in two cylindrical 

 shafts, each of which branches into two spines ; two or three 

 double-pointed spines on lateral edge of cremaster near tip. 

 Colour of head, thorax and wing-case dark brown speckled 

 and streaked with black, especially on dorsum ; abdomen 

 pale brown dorsally and ventrally, sides black with large, 

 irregular, white patches round the spiracles ; wing-case 

 separated from abdomen by a conspicuous white line from 

 base to near tip ; bevels of free abdominal segments pink. 

 Length 50 mm. ; breadth 10 mm. 



Habits. — Food-plants : Vitis Linn., family Ampelidese ; 

 Amorphophallus Bl., family Aroideae. Anterior segments of 

 larva more retractile than in velata. The larva, when alarmed, 

 adopts the snake-like attitude of Theretra larvae, retracting the 

 head and anterior segments into the swollen segment 5, and 

 waving the head and anterior segments from side to side. 

 The pupa when handled moves the abdominal segments freely. 

 We have not seen the moth in its natural state. There appear 

 to be several broods in the year. 



174. Rhagastis confusa Roths. & Jord. (Fig. 120 D, genitalia; 

 PL VI, fig. 19, larva ; PI. XV, figs. 9, 10, larva). 



Rhagastis confusa, Roths. & Jord., 1903, p. 795, pi. xiv, fig. 12 (£) 

 (Khasia Hills) ; Seitz, 1929, p. 569, t. 68 e ; Scott 1931, pi. iii, 

 fig. 1 (larva). 



Theretra velata var. albomarginata, Hampson (non Roths.), 1900, 

 p. 39, pi. B, fig. 4. 



Imago. — <£$. Head and thorax brown with a sharply 

 defined whitish-pink lateral be.nd, which is shaded with 

 brown near base of fore wing. Metanotum with indistinct 

 black mesial dot. No tawny- ochreous subdorsal stripe on 

 abdomen. Wings broader than in aurifera. Fore wing as 

 in aurifera, but darker in tint, costal margin pale ; fringe 

 of hiud margin white in middle, continuous with the pinkish- 

 white, longitudinal, subbasal line indicated in aurifera and 

 other species. Hind wing : pale band more pinkish and broader 

 than in aurifera. Underside : middle of sterna and abdomen 

 buff- pink, dusted with a few black scales. Fore wing : anterior 

 half of cell reddish, not brownish -black, of the same colour 

 as the disc ; the brown discal band just outside the basal 

 area absent or only vestigial at costal margin of fore and hind 

 wing ; the discal dots as large as in aurifera ; marginal band 

 of fore wing and the stripe connecting it with basal area less 

 prominent than in aurifera. Palpus as in aurifera. External 

 row of spines of first protarsal segment double only at base. 

 Expanse : $ 84 mm., £ 90 mm. 



