446. 
DASYCHIRA sp. 
Plate XXVII, fig. 1. 
Reference :—Kindly identified by Mr. G. C. Dudgeon as Dasychira sp. The 
specimen bred out was unfortunately deformed, the species 
being therefore undeterminable. 
Classification:—Order, LEPIDOPTERA. Sub-Order, HETEROCERA. 
Family, Noctuidae. 
Tree attacked :—Adzes Webbiana (Silver Fir). 
Description, 
Larva.—About 14 inch in length, densely clothed with 
long fine silky hairs of adelieate green colour, These hairs 
entirely conceal the head and abdominal segments of the cater- 
pillar. 
Pupa.—Formed within a covering composed of the green 
hairs of the larva spun together with pale green floss silk. 
The pupa is 1} inch long or a little over, thick anteriorly and 
tapering posteriorly, being $rd inch across at its thickest part. 
In colour a dirty white except at upper end, where the white 
merges into a dark olive-green. 
Moth.—A moderate-sized moth with the upper wings a 
dappled grey with black markings, Lower wings a dark french ~ 
grey without markings. Pl, XXVII, fig. 1, shows the moth of this 
species. : 
Life-History. 
The larva is full-grown towards the end of May, when it is 
to be found feeding upon silver fir needles. It pupates about 
this period, spinning a beautiful large silken cocoon of the 
finest floss silk with which its own hairs are woven up. A 
specimen which pupated in a glass-topped bex 34 inches x24 
inches in size filled half the box with this silken covering, The 
pupal stage lasts about three weeks, the moth issuing about the 
middle of June. 
_ It is possible that there is a second generation in the year, 
but this has not yet been observed. 
