N0CTUID2E. 
453 
pulses and Sann hemp. It is said by Sampson to feed on Ficus ; 
Grote reared it on Geranium. P. nigrisigna , Wlk’., feeds on 
gram, lucerne and peas and is a common pest. P. dauhei, Roisd, 
has been found feeding upon mint, the larva dull brown in colour. 
Noctuince—Arete ccerulea , Guen., is a dark moth with blue on the 
wings, the male with a long fringe of hair on the inner margin of the 
Fig. 312— Arcte ccerulea larva. 
{From Hampson.) 
hindwing. We figure the larva from Hampson. Spiling omorpha 
chlorea, Cram., will be mistaken for a hawk moth, a large moth with 
long narrow body and forewing. The palpi are upturned, the third 
joint long and slender ; Forsayeth reared the larvae on an Acacia, 
and describes them as green, with white marks and a bar of orange 
and blue which can be concealed. Polydesma includes moths of 
moderate size, found in grass or on the bark of trees. P. quenavadi, 
Guen., has been reared from caterpillars, found in bark. Other common 
species are P. umbricola , Boisd. ; P. spissa , Guen. ; and P. inangulata , 
Guen. 
Cosmophila is an important genus with four common species. C. 
mesogona, Wlk., is dark red-brown in colour with very slight markings. 
G. sabulifera , Guen., is distinct with some doubt; its colouring is very 
varied. The semi-looping larva is found on j ute during the rains. (Agric. 
Jo urn., Vol. II, p. 109.) C. fulvida , Guen., is stated to have a larva with 
four pairs of suckerfeet that feeds on Waltheria indica. It has been found 
on Abutilon avicennce, a green caterpillar with the first prolegs reduced 
in size; pupation takes place in a leaf folded over with silk. C. erosa , 
Hubn., is common as a green semi-looping larva on cotton and malvaceous 
plants ; the male moth is darker in colouring than the female. (Plate 
XXXVI, figs. 7, 8.) The semi-looping larva is a common pest of cotton, 
