I894-] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



57 



eating- through, and quite riddling the large leaves. * Length about three- 

 eighths of an inch, and of moderate bulk in proportion ; the head has the 

 lobes rounded and polished, and is considerably narrower than the 2nd 

 segment ; body rounded at the subdorsal region, slightly flattened dorsally, 

 and still more flattened ventrally ; it is attenuated posteriorly, and also 

 from the 3rd segment to the head ; tubercles large and prominent, each 

 of them emitting a tuft of moderately long hairs ; skin very slightly 

 roughened, and the segmental divisions well defined. Ground colour of 

 the head and body, uniformly pale pea green, the mandibles brown ; two 

 rather distinct grey lines extend through the dorsal region, enclosing 

 between them the less distinct narrow, grey, medio-dorsal line ; there is 

 an indistinct row of grey spots substituting the subdorsal line, and the 

 spiracular ridge is also greenish grey ; hairs grey, those from the side 

 tubercles stand out horizontally and are slightly curved, giving a remote 

 resemblance to the larva of Acronycta leporina ; ventral surface uniformly 

 of the pale green of the dorsal area. When full-fed the larva spins a 

 patch of silk on the under side of the leaf or on the stem of the burdock, 

 or on any convenient object near, and in a few days changes to a pupa " 

 (" Entomologist," Vol. XIV., pp. 117, 118). 



Pupa — The larvae pupate in some cases on the food plant, but a large 

 number must wander off and pupate on surrounding objects, as only a 

 small proportion, compared with the number of larvae, are ever found on 

 the food plant. In colour they are bright green, covered with short 

 hairs, and this I have found to be constant in a state of nature. But in 

 confinement, and especially if the food or tin (in which I have kept them) 

 has got damp, there is a very strong tendency for the tubercles to 

 become dark, and the whole dorsal area of the pupa to develop as it 

 were a double row of black spots. Just before emergence they turn 

 white, the colour of the wings and body showing distinctly through the 

 pupa case. The pupa is attached by its anal segment, and is capable 

 of turning backwards until the head almost touches the anal 

 segment. Mr. Porritt writes of the pupa: — ''This, though laid flat, is 

 attached to the silk by the anal hooks only, there being no silken belt 

 around the body. Like others in the genus, it is somewhat similar to 

 the butterfly pupa, or to that of an Ephyra ; it is about five-eighths 

 of an inch long, and of average proportions ; thorax and head 

 rounded above, flattened beneath ; head, bluntly rounded off ; 

 \he leg and wing-cases extend half way down, but are detached 

 from the abdomen. Ground colour bright green ; two distinct 

 white stripes extend from the thorax to the tip of the abdomen, and 



* I have had many dozens of the larvae, and can state positively that the larvae rarely 

 feed on the older leaves. The riddling of these leaves is due to small holes being eaten 

 in them when the leaves are young, the natural growth of the leaf extending the 

 holes afterwards. 



