Page:Life-histories of Indian insects - Microlepidoptera - T. Bainbrigge Fletcher.djvu/123

 LIFE-HISTORIES OF TORTRICIDA CACŒECIA MICACEANA, WLK. Cacacia micaceana, Wlk., XXVIII, 314 (1863)(1); Moore, Lep. Ceylon, III, 492, t. 208 f. 1 (1887) ²). Occurs throughout India, Burma and Ceylon. The larva has been found on guava and broad bean at Mandalay (K. D. Shroff coll.). We have also moths from Minbu (Lower Burma) and from Peshawar. CACŒCIA EPICYRTA, MEYR. Cacacia epicyrta, Meyr., B. J., XVI, 589 (1905) (¹), T. E. S., 1910, 432 (2). Originally described from Ceylon, this species has since been found in India and Java. In India it is widely distributed and we have it from Madul- sima, Maskeliya, the Shevaroys, the Palnis, Coimbatore, Pusa, Solan and Darjiling. At Coimbatore it has been bred from a larva on Duranta fruits, and at Pusa from a larva boring a guava fruit. Cacacia epicyrta has been bred in Southern India on several occasions by Y. Ramachandra Rao from larvæ found on Lantana camara. The larva webs up adjacent flower-heads and feeds on the corollas, etc., as a rule, but is sometimes found also on shoots or on ripe fruits, which latter it webs up and feeds on their dried pulp and bores into the seeds but in most cases without injuring the embryos. It has been found on Lantana camara at Coimbatore, Kallar, Bangalore, Sidapur, Manantoddy and Yercaud. A larva 8 mm. long is described as dark grey, slightly hairy, head shiny yellowish-brown, prothoracie shield shiny dark-brown. This larva was found on 21st November 1916, and moulted on 24th-25th November, after which it was 12 mm. long, dark grey, rather hairy, the hairs arising from whitish wart-like shields, head shiny yellow-brown, prothoracic shield very dark brown anteriorly edged with light brown. On 29th November it was 17.5 mm. long; on 30th November it prepared a cocoon and pupated on 1st December, the moth emerging on 9th December 1916. The larva is occasionally greenish or brown, and the head may be reddish- brown. The pupa is about 10-5 mm. long and 3 mm. broad, reddish-brown dorsally, yellowish ventrally, with the wing-sheaths reaching the fourth abdominal segment. Third and succeeding abdominal segments with three transverse dorsal ridges, first sharp and medially indented posteriorly to form a sharp angle, second ridge composed of four to eight rather large short spines, third ridge forming a posterior row of small, close-set, stout spines. The anterior