2 4 - 



When this happens the greater part of the larval life is often 

 passed in this mutual condition. 



By choosing for its first haunt the very young shoots which have 

 not yet opened the necessity of drawing the leaf edges together for 

 concealment is avoided, seclusion being naturally afforded by the 

 unopened leaf. The irritation caused by the larva to the young leaf 

 prevents its subsequent opening in the natural manner. 



The length of the young caterpillar is from 2-2-5 mm «> (i tn incn ) 

 its head varies greatly in colour, the abdomen is reddish pink. 



If we examine a newly attacked tree and open the young shoots 

 containing the larvae, we shall find that the epidermis of the leaf is 



irregular small patches which appear of a fresh green colour and 

 may be distinctly seen against the dull green of the upperside of the 

 young leaf. 



When the epidermis has been partiallv devoured, fresh leaves are 

 searched for, and it is fairly typical of this species to draw the some- 

 what older leaves surrounding the voung shoot around the latter, 

 devouring these as necessity arises' It is unlikely that less than 

 20 eggs laid by the female'of this insect, so that if we take this 

 as the minimum number it will be obvious that a week after the 

 larvae have appeared and have dispersed into the young leaves, no 

 new buds are visible, the surrounding leaves have been drawn 

 together encircling the former, and forming a leaf house. These 

 bunches of leaves may be seen on nearly all the Gutta Percha trees 



When the larva is about five davs old and the leaf house is formed, 

 it commences mining in earnest' Starting from either the base or 

 apex of a leaf it eats the epidermis regularlv on either side of the 

 midrib, leaving untouched only the extreme edges of the leaf. One 

 half is however soon abandoned, the larva confining its attacks to one 

 side o the leaf the epidermis of which is rapidly eaten. Its size Djr 

 the 8th day has greatly increased being, 18 mm. (f inch) and in tne 

 majority of cases it now vacates its original house taking possession 

 of fresh leaves on some other part of the tree. This is again aban- 

 doned in a few days and yet another house is formed 1 hu> a 

 single larva by repeatedly changing its house, besides killing^ 

 new shoots and the adjacent younger leaves, also ^troys jev«* 

 mature leaves, and the combined effects of the larva, hatched from 

 t th e C e eggS laid ^ a single female have a very disastrous eftect upon 



About fourteen days after hatching the larva is adult; it makes its 

 escape by pushing its way through the dead part of the leaf and 

 dropping to the ground it pupates just below the surface, 

 weeks later the adult insect emerges. . . ceS . 



While occupied the leaf is always moist inside, a condition ne ^ 

 sary to the well being of the larva, and in addition it has m 

 probability the effect of decomposing to a certain extent the tiss 

 of the leaf. v 



