OF THE ASPIDOMORPHA MILIARIS. 137 



During the change from pupa to imago : — 



Out of 



16 



pupa 



4 



died 



do. 



11 



do. 



6 



do. 



do. 



18 



do. 







do. 



do. 



36 



do. 



2 



do. 



do. 



23 



do. 







do. 



do. 40 do. 3 do. 



Average over 10 per cent. 



The mortality when living in freedom is very much great- 

 er than under artificial conditions, even when care is exercised. 



The Euchromia oricntalis lays its eggs on the Ipomea 

 carnea, and the larvae of- this insect are most voracious feed- 

 ers, so that the egg bunches of the Aspidomorpha often get so 

 isolated by the leaf around them being eaten away, that the 

 young larvae when they hatch out, stand but little chance of 

 ever reaching food. 



Egg bunches are sometimes found with the eggs destroyed 

 and occupied by the pupa of a small parasitic Hymenoptera of 

 the Family Proctotrypidae. This insect penetrating the chitin- 

 ous covering of the Aspidomorpha's egg bunches, lays its eggs 

 in the bunch. 



Eain storms, when windy weather exposes the under sur- 

 face of the leaves, wash off whole colonies of young Aspidom- 

 orpha larvae. 



Probably many larvae are destroyed by birds, though no 

 actual instances of this have yet come under the obervation of 

 the writer. 



Of 60 or 70 insects put out to live in freedom, at first a 

 good many disappeared. For some months afterwards the 

 numbers gradually increased, but owing to the Ipomea bushes 

 being very small, their growth was not able to keep pace with 

 the destruction of their leaves, and after 7 months the total 

 number of Aspidomorpha remaining had decreased to between 

 40 and 50, with a fair proportion of egg bunches, but very few 

 larvae or pupae. 



R. A. Soc, No. 53. 1909- 



