Page:Life-histories of Indian insects - Microlepidoptera - T. Bainbrigge Fletcher.djvu/50

T. BAINBRIGCxE FLETCHER 15 OXYPTILUS CAUSODES, MEYR. Oxyptilus causodes, Meyr., B. J., XVI, 582 (1905)(') ; Fletcher, Spolia Zeylan., VI, 24-25, t. A f. 4, t. E f. 9 (1909)(-'). Originally described from Peradeniya(^' -), this species also occurs in India and has been found at Pusa. The adult is, however, rarely seen, although easily bred from the larva which, in ('eyloii, feeds inside the fleshy fruits of Dillenia rctiisa. In India it nust have other foodplants, since, so far as I am aware, no species of Dillenia occurs at Pusa in the imn ediate vicinity of the locality where the adult moth has been taken. "The full-grown larva (suspended fr)r pupation) is about 13 mm. long by about 1"2 mm. broad, cylindrical, slender, shining, and appearing quite smooth and naked. There are two principal colour varieties, (1) wholly pale green without any noticeable markings except a narrow darker medio- dorsal stripe, and this is perhaps due to the vessels beneath showing through the skin rather than to any dermal pign^ented area ; towards the anal ex- tremity a pinkish suffusion is seen along the segmental interstices, (2) very pale semi-transparent pinkish flesh-colour, interstices of segments very pale semi-transparent green, as are also som.e patches along the sub-median area of most of the segments, but the pale green and pink so n^erge into one another that no definite areas can be described. Head very pale green. A pale red medio-dorsal line. But some larvae have no green markings, being wholly pink. The prolegs are very small and stumpy ; hooks dark reddish. The hooks on the fourth pair of prolegs are attached into the silken pupation-pad. The arrangement of the tubercles is shown in the figure (Plate E, figure 9) "(2). When full-fed the larva emerges from, the fallen fruit "to suspend itself for pupation on any neighbouring object." " The larva pupates very rapidly ; twelve hours is sufficient for it to emerge from the fruit, select a suitable place for pupation, suspend itself, and complete its metamorphosis." " The newly-formed pupa is of a bright light green colour, the capital extremity tinged with yellowish-brown about the base of the antenna-sheath ; but it soon becomes of an almost uniform, reddish grey-brown. The m^oth, which usually seems to emerge early in the morning, appears after six days "(2). XYROPTILA VAUGHANI, FLETCHER. Oxyptilus vaughani, Fletcher, Spolia Zeylan., VI, 23-24 (1909)('). This species was described from Ceylon (Madulsina, Alutnuwara, Trin- comali and Haldummulla). The early stages are as yet unknown, but the larva probably feeds inside the fruit of DimorpJiocalyx glahellus{^), and the moth has been reared from a pupa found on a leaf of this sLrub.