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HESPERIID^E. 
Pupa (PI. Via, Fig. 11) smooth, cylindrical, yellowish-white, covered with a 
fiocculent white powder, which is also profusely dusted over the interior of the leaf-tube. Fixed 
by the tip of the abdomen without a girdle, inside a rolled-up leaf, the lower opening of which is 
usually slightly secured with silk, as well as the upper end. As will be seen from the figure, the 
proboscis is contained in a chitinous sheath separated from the body of the pupa, much as it is in 
the pupae of the Hawk-moths or Sphingidce. This is also the case with many other Hesperid 
pupae. 
Taractrocera atropunctata, Watson 
A pretty little black-and-yellow Skipper, common in most parts of Kwangtung, fond of 
grassy hillsides and open waste ground. It flies in bright sunshine and the $ often lays her eggs 
during the hottest part of the day. It is fond of the small flowers growing amongst long grass, 
and flies jerkily and fairly fast, but haunts the same locality day after day, resting often on grass- 
stems and flowers with half-open wings. The abdomen of this species is black on the upperside 
and distinctly ringed with yellow on each segment. The $ has a tuft of rather long black hairs 
springing from the costal margin of the hindwing at the base, and several other Hesperids have 
the hairs at this point more or less produced in both sexes, but chiefly in the males ; these hairs 
probably act somewhat as the “ frenulum ” in moths—forming a connection or co-adaptation 
between the fore- and hindwing. The sexes of Taractrocera atropunctata are very similar in 
marking and colouring, though this Skipper varies much in dimensions and also in the size of the 
yellow markings on the wings. 
Fig. 21, PI. XIV is from a $ taken in August, but it is on the wing throughout the wet 
season. 
Egg, hemispherical, smooth, yellowish-white, large for the size of the insect; laid singly 
on grass-blades. The foodplants of the larva are several species of rather coarse grasses. 
Larva, just hatched, white with a black head. Fullgrown, of a uniform pale yellowish- 
green. Head black. The young larvae draw the edges of a blade of grass together with a few 
stitches of silk ; later on they sometimes twist the blade into a tube. 
Pupa, smooth, pale yellowish, greenish near the head. Fixed inside a leaf-tube by the tip 
of the abdomen, without a band. 
Ampittia maro, Fabr. 
Fairly common almost throughout the year in many parts of Kwangtung, but rather 
local, frequenting damp places where there is a growth of long grass, rushes and other rank herbage. 
It is active all day long, but does not appear to wander very far, and has not a very strong flight : 
every now and then resting on the small flowers at which it feeds, or on stalks of low vegetation. 
It seems to be the smallest species of Skipper found here. The sexes are very similar, and this 
insect does not seem to vary much in size; the £ has a rather larger expanse of yellow on the 
upperside of the forewing, which in the $ tends to be divided into spots of yellow separated by the 
dark brown ground colour. 
