THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 743.— May, 1903. 



-A CURIOUS PROTECTIVE DEVICE IN A 

 LEPIDOPTEROUS LARVA. 



By R. Shelfobd, M.A. (Curator of the Sarawak Museum). 



(Plate IV.) 



On May 16th, 1900, one of the native collectors attached to 

 the staff of the Sarawak Museum brought in from the jungle a 

 great quantity of a Spircsa-\\ke plant, which was to serve as 

 food-material for some Nymphaline larvae that had been collected 

 a few days previously. The plant bore numerous cymose in- 

 florescences which were still in bud and pale green in colour. A 

 bunch of the plant had been laid on one side whilst the day's 

 catch of insects was being overhauled, when it was noticed that 

 one of the branchlets of an inflorescence was moving in rather 

 a curious manner, since there was absolutely no breeze notice- 

 able at the time. On closer examination it was found that the 

 movement was due to a small Geometer caterpillar that had 

 covered itself with buds cut from the inflorescence on which it 

 was feeding. The caterpillar, which was only 9 millim. long, 

 bore the following spine-like processes : a dorsal pair on the 

 4th segment, a dorso-lateral pair on segments 5, 6, and 7, a 

 lateral pair on the 8th segment, and a short dorsal pair on the 

 11th ; there were also some small tubercles in the positions 

 ZooL 4th ser. vol. VII., May, 1903. o 



