LIMACODIDAE. By Dr. M. Hering. 
667 
dart, as soon as one goes around the trunk. It was hard work for me to capture about 50 specimens of 
Pyrops Candelaria, not one of which however was infested. The same ili success I had in Ceylon, where Epi- 
pyropinae were likewise observed; though a great number of specimens of the Pyrops-species living there were 
captured, not any cicada inhabited by these parasites was discovered. The only Epipyropid larva before me I owe 
to the kindness of Dr. Stitrmhoffel who captured it on a black cicada about an inch long, in South Brazil. 
Another Heterocera-iamiiy allied to the Limacodidae, forming in a certain measure a bridge to the 
family of the Megalopygidae, but entirely confined to America, for which reason it is only considered in 
Vol. VI, are the Dalceridae. 
In economical respects, the Limacodidae seem to be less important. The above-mentioned Cheromettia 
lohor are reported to harm coffee-plantations in Java, where they may occur in great numbers. Parasa consocia 
I could see in Hongkong defoliating trees so completely that not any leaf was left on the branches; but these 
trees had not been timber for building. Most of the Limacodidae are very polyphagous so that the damage 
done by them is divided upon various families of plants and they can therefore not become so destructive to 
cultures as for instance pine-caterpillars which are exclusively dependent on this food-plant. The larva of the 
said coffee-vermin (Cher, lolior) is known to occur also on bananas, Ricinus, mango-trees, and quite a number 
of other plants. Setora nitens Wkr. lives on the coffee-tree and besides on tobacco, orange-trees, cocoa-shrubs, 
and tea. The damage done is only severe on tobacco, because the leaves eaten by the larvae become full of holes 
and can no more be used for wrappers, but fortunately the tobacco is more rarely attacked by these larvae. 
As we mentioned above, the Limacodidae of the Indo-Australian region are split into a great number 
of genera and species, and many novelties may yet be expected from the Papuan archipelago on its being 
thoroughly explored. Some genera also occur in Africa and America besides. It seems as if the peculiarity 
of the Limacodid larvae of being able to develop on various plants has forwarded their distribution. 
Limacodidae (CochUopodidae ). 
By Dr. Martin Hering. 
The members of this family are recognizable by the anal vein (1 c) being preserved in both wings and 
by the almost invariable presence of a vein parting the cell, whereby the primitive position of the Limacodidae 
is characterized. Vein 8 of the hind wing is connected with the anterior margin of the cell by a cross-vein or 
partly anastomosing with it. The proboscis is regressively developed. The $ antennae are very differently 
formed and can be well used for the diagnoses of the genera. In some cases they are plain or set with ciliary 
tufts. In several genera they are peculiarly thickened and flattened (Macroplectrina) , and at the same time 
also much longer (Limacocera). Pectinations occurring very frequently either gradually decrease from the 
base towards the apex, being serrate at last (Thosea), or they grow shorter towards the apex and base 
(Semyra). Very often only the basal portion of the antenna is pectinated long, the terminal portion being bare. 
While the antennae have normally two rows of pectinations, there is only one row in some genera (Ecnomoctena , 
Iragoides). The $ antennae of some species (Australian Parasa) also exhibit short pectinations. Palpi likewise 
variably shaped and in different directions, enormously large in some genera (Scopelodes, Hyphorma) , some¬ 
times very long only in the $ (Susica), with a conspicuous hair-tuft at the end in Scopelodes. Chaetosoma 
always absent, as well as tympanal organs. Anterior legs without a tibial plate, tibial spurs may be present 
or absent on the middle and hind legs, and there may be also middle spurs present on the posterior tibiae. 
The legs are mostly densely long-haired, and the spurs are often hardly visible. Wings of different shapes, 
always characterized by a dull silky gloss beneath, where the veins are mostly paler, frenulum present, but 
absent in Pinzulenza which is doubtfully placed in this family. The hindwing exhibits 3, the forewing 2 inner- 
marginal veins, the first of the fore wing bifurcates at the base (la, lb). 8 -f 9 on the forewing mostly bi¬ 
furcated, often also stalked with other veins. A peculiar fact is that vein 11 is often very convex immediately 
after its origin and bent down to 12. 
There are 2 main types of larvae which are often arched like a wood-louse: firstly the flat ones re¬ 
sembling limacidae, and secondly those provided with spined processes. Nearly all of them have a very poi¬ 
sonous effect on being touched, and even the handling of dead lepidoptera in the collections may frequently 
produce ulcerating inflammations of the eyes and fever. Corresponding to this protection, the larvae are 
mostly provided with glaring blue, red, or yellow markings. They live on various plants, and there will be 
hardly certain species bound to certain plants. This polyphagy is mostly one of the characteristic marks of phylo¬ 
genetic age. Many species are often found in great numbers on cultivated plants. The pupation takes place 
in a very solid cocoon which is rarely spun in the earth; the ornamentally marked cocoons are often found 
in numbers on one twig. The pupa has half-free limbs and a very soft skin; before emerging it breaks off one 
lid of the cocoon. 
