12 



but adhering readily to the sticky surface of the plant. The egg 

 is pearly white, spherical (diameter about 0.6 mm.), radiately ridged 

 on the sides from a smooth circular area on the dorsal summit sur- 

 rounding the micropyle, the longitudinal ridges connected by short 

 cross ridges. The egg stage is five days. 



The larva: The larva is extremely variable and for that reason 

 difficult to describe. Freshly hatched specimens are about 0.75 mm. 

 long, sordid white with black head and fuscous cervical shield, and 

 covered with black hairs. Four or five molts occur in the course of 

 its growth, the color often changing in the molt. The full grown 

 caterpillar is 30-40 mm. long, stout bodied, the integument more or 

 less shagreened through the presence of extremely closely set, short, 

 stout spines; the principal varieties greenish, reddish, and grayish, 

 and longitudinally striped — usually a broad dorsal and two broad 

 lateral dark stripes above the pale stigmatal line, with many fine 

 wavy lines intermixed. The head and cervical shield are brown, the 

 latter with irregular black markings. Spiracles black with white 

 center. Tubercles variable, some large and black, others small and 

 pale, and arranged in longitudinal rows as follows: On segments 4-9 

 (1) is anterior, (2) posterior and farther removed from median line, 

 (3) above spiracle, (4) behind and (5) under and beneath the stig- 

 matal line; in some cages (4) is small and (5) is in all cases. On the 

 segments with prolegs (6) is above the leg; on the segments without 

 them (6) and (7) are ventral and posterior. On segments 2 and 3 

 (1) and (2) are in line and (1) is smal]; (3) is close to (2) and also in 

 line; (4) and (5) are small, the latter behind the former on the stig- 

 matal line, (6) above the leg. On segment 1 (1) is anterior, (2) pos- 

 terior and farther removed, (3) is above spiracle, (4 + 5) in front, 

 (6) above the leg. On segment 10 (4) is behind (5), which is below 

 the spiracle; on segment 11 (4) is absent. The length of the larval 

 stage is 32 days. When full grown the larva leaves the plant to 

 enter the soil, fashioning a rough cell several inches below the surface 

 in which it pupates. 



The pupa: The pupa is of the usual stout noctuid type; length 

 about 20 mm. ; smooth and brown. The wing cases end broadly, the 

 leg and antennal cases narrowly, at the apex of segment 4. The 

 spiracles on segments 2-7 are contracted oval, raised above the in- 

 tegument into a short neck, and are black; that on segment 8 is a mere 

 narrow slit. The anterior margin of segments 4-7 dorsally and 5-7 

 ventrally are punctate, the punctation rather fine on segment 4, 

 otherwise coarse. The cremaster is rather pointed, with two fairly 

 long projecting spines. The length of the pupal stage is 12-16 days. 



The moth: The adult moth is described as follows: 1 



1 Ilampson. Fauna Brit. India; Moths, 2 (1894), p. 174. 



