156 
nedroptera. 
probably not more than they eat when living freely on the 
plant; they feed very rapidly and voraciously and we can quite believe 
the number of victims in a day to be much larger. Finally, after eight 
days’ feeding, its voraciousness is satisfied and it settles down in a quiet 
place to spin its cocoon and turn into the chrysalis. This is done on 
the plant and the chrysalis remains in it for about one month. The 
cocoon is a tough, white oval structure, built of silk, and when the fly 
is ready to come out, the 
top comes off as a neat 
little lid; there is probably 
a line of weakness in the co¬ 
coon when originally made, 
so that the top will come 
off neatly and allow the fly 
to emerge. The fly is a 
familiar insect with green 
head and body, bright 
golden eyes and long un¬ 
gainly wings, which look much too big for it. One sees them flying 
about in the dusk or in the day time if disturbed, and like many other 
insects, the attraction of a lamp is usually too much for them. No 
Indian species appear to have been recorded. 
Coniopteryginov .—Small delicate insects, in which the wings are 
covered with a white powdery secretion. 
Fig. 81 .—Spilocoris guttata. 
[From Enderlein.) 
These delicate insects are just known to occur in India, a few indivi¬ 
duals having been captured flying and on a bair tree in Surat and among 
