Life Cycle images of Polytela gloriosae (Lily Moth)

Polytela gloriosae Fabricius, 1775

Animalia > Arthropoda > Insecta > Lepidoptera  > Noctuidae > Glottulinae > Polytela > Polytela gloriosae

Life cycle observed on larval host plant Zephyranthes

Eggs are laid in batches like  most other moths and the number varies hugely. 

An early instar caterpillar. More reddish brown than black. 

Image to compare the size of an early instar caterpillar with a later instar caterpillar

The colour turns darker as the caterpillar attains later stage instars.

A batch of caterpillars feeding on Rain Lily plant 

The later instar caterpillars usually feed on the plant from the top to bottom. They are observed eating the flower and the seedpods along with the leaves. 

Few grown caterpillars were seen feeding on orange pulp kept nearby. They continued to feed on them until the pulp became unavailable.

A caterpillar before pupation. 

Caterpillar burying itself under the soil for pupating 

Holes left by the caterpillars after going under the soil

Pupae with the exoskeleton from its last instar 

The Pupae turns darker when it is ready to eclose

Empty pupa shell (from under the soil / leaf litter) after the moth eclosed

Drying its wings right out of pupa

An adult gathering salt using its proboscis 

Description : 

Adult: Head and thorax blue-black; the basal joint of palpi and antennae orange; three orange specks on meetathorax; abdomen black, the terminal segments orange. Fora wing blue-black; an orange speck at base; the subbasal and antemedial waved lines filled in with orange, with an orange speck between them in cell, and two pink and black lunules towards inner margin; the orbicular a yellow ring-mark; the reniform yellow with the upper part centred with pink, the lower with fuscous; some orange specks on costa towards apex; the curved lunulate double postmedial line  filled in with yellow, and with a series of pink and black lunules beyond it; large orange blotches at apex and outer angle; cilia black and orange. Hind wing fuscous, with traces of an angled postmedial line; the cilia orange.

Larva: smooth; Purple-black, with dorsal, lateral, and sublateral series of white spots; purplish lateral blotches on thoracic and two terminal somites; head, legs, and a dorsal spot on 1st somite red.

Food-plant - Amaryllis.

Habitat. Throughout IndIa and Ceylon.

 - Hampson G. F. (1892). "The Fauna Of British India Including Ceylon And Burma"

The adult was immediately released after it eclosed.

The observation is made during Sep - Oct 2017 from South India.

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