Zoology.-] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Insects: 



Plate 8, Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8. 



AGARISTA CASUARW^ (Scott). 



The Loranthus Day-moth. 



Description. — Jet-black with a slight brownish tinge. Male — Upper side: 

 anterior wings with four irregular transverse bands (with a very slight subdiscoidal 

 spot between the second and third), and a narrower one nearer the outer margin, 

 extending from the anterior to the abdominal edge, undulated so as to form two salient 

 angles towards the outer margin, with semicircular curve towards the base between 

 them, all of a clear sulphur-yellow ; outside the undulated band are seven or eight 

 narrow, clear white, radiating streaks on the nerves ; the margin with a narrow 

 interrupted white edge. Posterior wings with a continuation of the sulphur-yellow 

 undulated band crossing rather nearer the margin than the base, with one distinct 

 angular inflection towards middle of the margin, wider and slightly undulating 

 thence to the abdominal margin ; within this band is a triangular median sulphur- 

 yellow spot, and two very faint-greyish ones a little nearer the base ; margin with a 

 narrow interrupted pure white edge. Under side: anterior wing having the spotted 

 white edge, the white radiating neural lines, the sulphur-colored undulated band, 

 the next short transverse band, and the large submedian band as in the upper surface, 

 but within this there is only one 'triangular spot, and there is a yellow band on the 

 anterior margin from base to upper end of median transverse band; posterior wings 

 with white interrupted margin as on upper surface, but with about five slender white 

 radiating streaks on the veins between it and the undulating sulphur-yellow band, 

 which agrees with upper surface, the next triangular spot being extended into a 

 band constricted in the middle, the upper end of which is continuous with a broad 

 marginal band extending to the base \ within this are two large yellow patches 

 appearing only as small faint spots on upper side. Head, body, and thorax black, 

 two narrow pale-yellow lines on upper side of head, and three on the thorax ; tip of 

 abdomen and thighs bright rufous \ legs black, the joints edged with white. Length 

 of body, 1 inch ; width from tip to tip, 2 inches 5 lines. Female larger, but almost 

 identical with the male in coloring. Length of body, 1 inch ; width from tip to tip, 

 2 inches 6 lines. The larva is about 2 inches long and 3 lines in diameter, of a jet- 

 black with numerous unequal, irregular transverse creamy-white lines, irregularly 

 set with long slender white hairs ; the head and upper part of next segment rusty- 

 buff, the penultimate segment at posterior end cinnabar-red. Pupa 11 lines long, 

 nearly destitute of any cocoon covering, under the surface of the earth near roots of 

 trees. 



Reference. — Scott, Lepid. Ins. N. S. Wales, t. 8. 



This is the largest and finest species of the genus in Victoria, 

 and perfectly harmless. The species is named Casuarince by Mr. 

 Scott, but in Victoria it never feeds on the Casuarina but always 

 on the Loranthus, or so-called Native Mistletoe, which is parasitic 



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