Page:Life-histories of Indian insects - Microlepidoptera - T. Bainbrigge Fletcher.djvu/20

4 LlFE-HlStORlES OF PTEROPHORIDiB may easily be passed over as a glandular leaf seen edgewise, and vice versa. " Ordinarily the larva seems sluggish, but can move along fairly fast when it likes. It has, indeed, little incentive to move from the foodplant. When resting across the centre of the plant, with plenty of food within reach, it seems to remain there for days, until a large pile of flaccid dark yellowish- green frass accumulates. " In some cases the frass is jerked away by a rapid movement of the anal extremity. In one instance which I noted it went about an inch up into the air and fell on to the Drosera plant about half an inch away from the larva ; but usually, I should imagine, it falls clear of the foodplant, or there would be no object in flicking it away in this manner. However, as noted above, the frass often does accumulate on the foodplant, so evidently this process of removal is not an invariable habit, but is a peculiarity confined to certain individuals. " When crawling onto a Drosera plant the larva seems very careful to keep clear of the gummy detioles, and is assisted to do so by its long hairs, m.ore especially those situated upon the head, for these hairs are seen to have en- larged basal attachments, which are evidently correlated with hypertrophied tactile nerves. " When crawling over the leaves the gum is often seen to adhere to the legs of the larva, which then stops, bends down its head, and cleans them by passing the gummy legs through its mouth. The whole process rather reminds one of a cat licking itself clean. " Piqycition. When searching for the larvse I must have examined several scores of Drosera plants, which either contained full-fed larvae or showed signs of havi'ng recently done so, but only in one case have I as yet found the pupa in a natural position, and, judging by the restless behaviour of larvse in confinement just prior to pupation, I am constrained to believe that the larva wanders away from the plant and fixes itself up for pupation on some grass stem or similar object, where its discovery would be rendered exceedingly difficult by its resemblance to a pendulous grass seed. " This pupa, which was found in situ in its natural position (on 27th August) was on a medium-sized Drosera plant, which was growing under the shade of a tuft of grass. The plant had evidently been badly eaten by the larva, and there was no flower- stalk. The pupa was attached by its cremastral hooks to a silken pad spun on the base of a leaf just below the central bud and was lying, dorsal surface ujipermost, across some leaves whose gummy