99 
THE GEELONG NATURALIST. 8 
SErT. 24ru—Lecturette—“ How Flowers are helped by Insects," 
(Illustrated by Lantern Views), Mr G. H. Adcock, 
ELS. 
NOTES ON TWO SPECIES OF VINE MOTHS. 
Bx Mr A. PURNELL. 
I.—Agarista glycine (Lewin)—Lerwin’s Day Mora. 
Order—Lepidoptera. Section—Heterocera. Family-—Agaristidaa, sf T 
The larve, or caterpillar, appear at first in a dark bronze-green 
colour, but being of rapid growth they soon assume fantastic colour- 
ings, chiefly green striped transversely with black and orange, each 
segment being covered with minute bristles. The head is capped 
with bright red. 
This beautiful caterpillar is very ravenous, and attacks not only 
the leaves of the vine, but also the fruit when just forming. 
The pupe, or chrysalis, are formed by the larvæ descending to 
the ground and making their temporary home just beneath the . 
surface. They are of an elongated oval shape, rather pointed at the 
posterior end. During the summer months the moth matures and 
emerges after a period of from three to four weeks, and the female 
very soon commences her work of egg-laying. One afternoon in 
January last I watched a moth at this work, and during the space 
of one hour succeeded in placing over 100 eggs. The eggs are green, 
being as nearly as possible the same tint as the vine-leaf, and I 
noticed they were placed in preference on the back of the leaf at the 
intersection of two of the ribs, and not side by side as is done by 
most lepidoptera. 
After depositing one egg the moth would flutter away, and 
returning, would crawl over the leaf, instinctively feeling with its 
ovipositor for a suitable spot in which to place the egg, and never 
placing a second one without its little flutter round the vine. I also 
noticed that very rarely were two eggs placed on the same leaf, so 
that the young larve, when hatched, found themselves upon a 
proportionately large field for work, and in following up this 
observation, I saw that the young larve lost no time in starting to 
feed upon the leaves. 
They almost simultaneously emerged on the 18th day. ' 
This species appears to be on the increase in this district 
(Geelong), which is doubtless due to the conditions contributing to 
its reproductiveness being so favourable, and the fact that its 
natural enemies are limited in number. These enemies are two 
species of Cuckoo, namely the Bronze Cuckoo (probably Cacomantis 
