APPENDIX. 479 



usual in Eumorphid and Sesiid larvae. The horn is raised at a 

 greater angle than in the last instar, now nearly 45 , is but little 

 curved, about '25ms. long, tapering gradually to a point and 

 appearing very thorny. The head is rounded, only slightly inclined 

 to be tall, of a darker and duller green than the body which is 

 apple-green in hue. The crimson or dark pink markings are very 

 much increased in this stage (in the larva examined). The horn is 

 dark crimson or purple; the ventral area purplish or livid pink. 

 The spiracles are still composite in colour, orange in the central area, 

 white at the ends, surrounded as usual by a black rim. [The scheme 

 of coloration matches well with the coloration of its foodplant, as 

 scabious leaves frequently show shading and blotching of dark 

 crimson or purple.] There are faint traces of a dark mediodorsal 

 line, the crimson slashes surrounding the spiracles are considerably 

 strengthened, whilst those above the subdorsal line are increased 

 to a continuous band with serrated upper edge, the serrations rising 

 sharply upwards at the front of the segment, the apex of each stripe 

 being on the second subsegment and it gradually tapers to the 

 posterior margin of the segment. The subdorsal line (no longer a 

 band), immediately below the upper crimson markings, is now faint 

 and dull forming a mere border to the serrated crimson band. The 

 hairs are still long for those of a Sphingid larva* ; the raised bases 

 are as before, but the hairs now appear to taper to a point, and I 

 observe none forked or notched at the tip. The horn still ends in 

 two fine hairs of the normal secondary type. The incision between 

 the 3rd and 4th subsegments is slightly more marked than between 

 the other subsegments (Bacot). 



Sesia stellatarum, Linne (Vol. iv., p. 4). 



[Page 13.] Ontogeny and variation of larva of Sesia 

 stellatarum. — First instar f .■ When the larvae emerge they 

 are onlv 2mm. in length, and are at first yellowish, but soon 

 become green, set with small single bristles, and they possess a 

 short greenish caudal horn, which afterwards becomes black. The 

 head is greenish-yellow. The young larvae are entirely destitute of 

 marking (pi. hi., fig. 1). Second i?istar : The first moult takes 

 place after four days, the larva now acquiring the marking which it 

 essentially retains to pupation. Fine white subdorsal and spiracular 

 lines appear, and, at the same time, a dark green dorsal line, which, 

 however, does not arise from the deposition of pigment, as is 

 generally the case, but from a division in the folds of the fatty 

 tissue along this position (pi. hi., fig. 2). The colour is now dirty 

 green in all specimens, the skin being finely shagreened. Third 

 instar: The second moult, occurring after another period of four 

 days, does not bring any change of marking, the colour only being 



* Normally the hairs on adult Sphingid larvae are so reduced as to make the 

 larvae appear quite naked, although examination with a strong lens reveals the fact 

 that hairs are present although exceedingly reduced in size. 



t The eggs from which these larvae were reared were obtained by placing a 

 captured ? of -S. stellatarum in a capacious breeding-cage, in the open air. The 

 moth hovered about over the flowers and laid its small, grass-green spherical e°-gs 

 (partly when on the wing) singly, on the leaves, buds and stalks of Galium 

 mollugo, 130 being obtained in three days. The deposition of eggs was accom- 

 plished by the insect laying hold of the point of a twig with its legs during- flight. 



