SMERINTHUS OCELLATA. 43.5 



/ 'ou rth moult the length is about 35mm., and the tips of the lobes of 

 the head become shortened, and lose the red tint. The biggest larva 



I had this summer when fullgrown was quite three inches (75mm.) 

 in length, the figure stout and stiff, stoutest about segment 10, and 

 tapering forwards, and not so much backwards, the face triangular, 

 the horn on segment 12, when perfect, curved at the tip, which is very- 

 sharp ; each segment has eight subdivisions set with rough points ; 

 on the back there is an arrangement of these points marking out 

 a dorsal space, but there is no line; the ground colour pale glaucous- 

 green, the rough points opaque white ; on segments 2 — 4 a white 

 subdorsal line, on side of segments 5 — 12 seven oblique white stripes 

 sloping upwards ; each stripe has its lower half on one segment and 

 its upper half on the segment behind it, reaching almost to the 

 plain dorsal space ; each white stripe is edged in front with a deeper 

 green than the ground. The last of the seven is longer than the 

 rest, and begins below the spiracle on segment 10, runs through 



II up to the subdorsal level, and then through 12 up into the horn ; 

 the horn is light blue, greener near the tip, and is set with white 

 points ; the spiracles yellowish-white, strongly ringed with pinkish- 

 brown ; the belly fuller green than the back, and with smaller 

 white points ; the back of the head blue, the face granulated, full 

 green with a few white points, the lobes outlined with yellow, the 

 mouth reddish-brown, the thoracic legs pinkish-brown, with white 

 points on them ; the ventral and anal prolegs green, with their feet 

 slightly tinged with pink (Hellins). Newman describes the larva 

 (Ent, iii., pp. 91-92), as also does Chaumette (Z00L, ix., p. 

 3244). The moulting of the larva is noticed (anted, vol. ii., p. 17). 



Variation of larva. — The variation of the fullgrown larva is 

 almost parallel with that of Amorpha populi ; the oblique stripes are, 

 however, usually broader and whiter, though sometimes, in the 

 yellow form of the larva, they are as yellow and nearly as narrow 

 as in A. populi. Larvae are sometimes met with which have traces 

 of an 8th oblique stripe, and Poulton mentions one with a 9th 

 as well. One, reared in 1896, showed a tendency to darken before 

 pupation in the same way as do the larvae of Mimas tiliae and 

 Sphinx ligustri (Bacot). Buckler figures (Lan'ae, &c, ii., pi. xx., 

 figs. 1, 1a, ib) three very fine forms of the fullgrown larva: (1) 

 Blue-green, with yellowish incisions and whitish oblique lateral stripes, 

 edged anteriorly with darker green, pale blue caudal horn, the skin 

 covered with minute white shagreen dots arranged transversely, and 

 showing distinctly the subsegments. (1a) Dull grey-green, with 

 yellow oblique lateral stripes, the subsegments distinctly marked 

 with transverse series of yellow shagreen dots ; the caudal horn 

 yellowish with black tip; three longitudinal rows of red spots on either 

 side of larva, viz., a subdorsal row, one spot on each segment from 

 the prothorax to 7th abdominal; a spiracular row, one spot on 

 each segment from prothorax to 8th abdominal ; a row just 

 above base of prolegs, one spot on each segment from 1st — 6th 

 abdominal. (ib) Bright yellow-green, with white oblique lateral 

 stripes, edged anteriorly with dark green; subdorsal and spiracular 

 rows of bright crimson spots, and bright blue caudal horn. Poulton 

 observes (Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1887, p. 283) that two mature 

 larvae of light yellowish-green tint, captured near Oxford in August, 



