Page:Life-histories of Indian insects - Microlepidoptera - T. Bainbrigge Fletcher.djvu/73

T. SAlNfiRlGGE FLETCHER 21 anal extremity ; each abdominal segment dorsall}^ with two raised elongated ridges ; anal segment with several thin curved-tipped hairs. (Pusa Insectary Cage-slip 815.) The pupal period is about four da^^s in the hot weather and about a week in the winter." rT/Ro-?,f^e S . rti^ %( L (s k^< PLATYPTILIAiiBR^CHYMORPHA, MEYR. (PLATE III, FIG. 2.) - o "l^^- / fT liPlcUyptilia brachymorpha, Meyr., T. E. S., 1888, 240 (1888)(i), B. J., XVII, 135 (1906),(2) T. E. S., 1907, 483 (1908)(3) ; Fletcher, Spol. Zeylan , VI, 12, t. A f . 3 (1909)(^), T. L. S. (2) XIII, 401 (1910)(5). a PlatypiUia seeholdi, Hofm., Iris, XI, 33 (1898)(«). This is a widely distributed species recorded from Syria, India, Ceylon, South Africa, Aldabra, and Hawaii(5), j^ India and Ceylon it seems to occur in the Plains. We have it from Kegalle, Sidapur, PollibtUa, Pusa, Chakradharpur and Pyinmana (Burm.a). It has been reared at Pusa from larvae collected on Celsia coromandeliana on 7th February 1906 and 1st March 1913 and from a pupa found on an un- identified yellow-flowered Solanaceous plant on 5th April 1918. The larva bores into flower-buds of Celsia coromandeliana and eats the anthers. It is, when full-grown, about 8 m-m.. long and rather n ore than 1 mm. broad, cylindrical, tapering slightly towards either extremity, segments distinct, brownish-grey with a pinkish-grey dorsal line deeper in colour pos- teriorly ; head bilobed, shiny, translucent pale yellowish-brown with black specks and m.inute hairs ; thorax with minute black spots and dull-white tufts of hairs ; legs well developed ; abdominal segm^ents rather darker tinged ; prolegs pale yellow ; anal segm^ent with a large black spot ; tufts of small hairs on segments. (Pusa Insectary Cage-slip 978.) Another larva was described as yellowish-green, dorsal line deeper green. (Pusa Insectary Cage-slip 300A.) Pupation takes place on the foodplant. The pupa is about 8 mm. long and slightly more than 1 mm_. broad, yellowish-green with a pale crimson dorsal line posteriorly from thorax, abdominal segm.ents with pale crimson lines. The pupal period is seven or eight days. (Pusa Insectary Cage-slip 978.) ^4. , p. Li,^ PLATYPTILIA DIREPTALIS, WLK. (PLATE V.) ^ ^ >? f f^' Oxyptilus direptalis, Wlk., Cat. XXX, 934 (1864)(');^^^ /^^ ")t-~- - - Platyptilia direptalis, Meyr., T. E. S., 1907, 485 (1908)(^) ; Fletcher, Spol. Zeylan., VI, 12 (1909)('^). Originally described from the Cape of Good Hope(^), this species has since been recorded from Ceylon (Pattipola), the Palnis, Nilgiris and Simla(2). We have it from Dungagali (8,000 feet ; Hazara District), Pusa and vShillong.