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Rh strong; the abdominal feet are ten in number, two of them anal. The body consists of twelve segments, the sides somewhat prominent, the whole with thinly scattered hairs. The three anterior, segments and the head are yellowish variegated with brown marks, the rest of a dull livid colour. When the larva is alarmed, it very rapidly shuts up the purse-like aperture of its dwelling by means of its mandibles and fore legs, and thus remains in security suspended only by a few threads. (Plate IX. fig. 1 represents a female larva in its case, in the act of creeping. Fig. 2, the same larva withdrawn from its case.) Having attained its full growth, and about to undergo metamorphosis, it fixes one end of its habitaculum firmly to a branch by means of silk threads spun for the purpose, and allowing itself to hang perpendicularly, awaits in this position the pupal sleep. (Plate IX. fig. 3 represents the habitaculum of an adult male thus suspended.) The pupa of the male is elongated, brown, the abdominal segments with a rust-coloured ring, the front somewhat carinated, and each segment furnished with a double series of dorsal spinulæ; that of the female is of the same colour, but much thicker.

When the male appears in the winged state, he is found to be of a uniform black colour glossed with purple; the upper wings rather narrow and elongated, the under pair small and slightly produced at the anal angle. The abdomen is extensile and elongated; tarsi rufescent; mouth pale; antennæ strongly pectinated from the base to the middle,