484 
LEPIDOPTERA. 
Of the fifteen species listed in the Fauna of India, one alone is found 
in the plains. Ocinara varians, Wlk., is a small grey moth, whose larva 
lives upon the Oular tree 
(Ficus glomerata ) and other 
figs. It is a grey caterpillar, 
variegated with brown; 
there are slight protuber¬ 
ances dorsally and a slender 
horn at the hind end. It 
feeds upon the leaves, readi¬ 
ly letting itself down from 
leaf to leaf on a thread of 
silk; the cocoon is bright 
yellow, formed on the bark 
or on a leaf. This insect 
defoliates its foodplant, 
stripping large trees of their 
foliage. It is abundant in 
the hot weather before the 
Fig. 327— Ocinara varians. x 2. Male above. • i • n • 
rams and m some years is 
exceedingly destructive to the large trees upon which it feeds. It is 
checked by Tachinid parasites. 
Bornbyx mori, Linn. (Hate XXVIII, figs. 9 and 15) is the Chinese 
domesticated silkworm, spread from China to India and Europe. 
Its domestication dates too far back to be recorded. As a result of 
domestication in various climates local races have arisen treated by some 
authors as distinct species. To the student of the Heterocera as a whole, 
these races will appear as varieties only ; to the student of silk insects 
they are of sufficient distinctness to rank as species, but for our purposes 
they are domesticated races solely. For convenience we give the more 
important Indian races described by Hutton as distinct species, united 
by Hampson under this one species :— 
Bornbyx mori, L. Univoltine. 
Desi Polo, Chota Polo. ,, fortunatus, Hutt. Multivoltine. 
Nistry, Madrassi. ,, croesi, Hutt. Multivoltine. 
Nya Paw. „ arracanensis, Hutt. Multivoltine. 
