Common Mellana (Quasimellana eulogius) life history
Common Mellana (Quasimellana eulogius) Life History


Developing egg, 10-28-22

Egg almost ready to eclose,, 10-31-22
       

Neonate, 11-1-22

First instar, 11-2-22
            

Nest, and caterpillar molting to second instar, 11-4-22
            

Second instar, 11-8-22
     

Third instar, 11-12-22
     

Fourth instar, 11-14-22
     

Fifth instar, 12-7-22
     

Pupa, 12-19-22
     

Fresh male Common Mellana, ventral view, 12-2-22 (not from above pupa)
     

Same individual as above, dorsal view, 12-2-22
 

[This is my informal recounting of a study that appeared in News of the Lepidipterists' Society 2024_v66_n3.pdf.] I was given about a dozen Common Mellana eggs by Richard Boscoe. The eggs were cream white when deposited on Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum); by the time I was able to get them, they had begun to develop and had two red rings. The red faded as development progressed, and the eggs were once again cream white when the head capsules became visible through the shells.

Some caterpillars cut a notch in the edge of a grass blade for a nest, but most formed a tightly-rolled shelter near the tip of the blade. The shelters would be enlarged toward the stem as the caterpillars grew. Sometimes they would only emerge half-way from the shelter to feed; at other times they would move out onto the blade. In such cases they created a silken trail which they would follow back to the nest, even if this was not the straightest path. They seemed to feed most near the middle of the blade (from stem to tip), starting at the edge and gradually feeding inward. As a result, numerous nests would be attached to the plant only by the mid-rib of the grass blade being fed upon.


Face of Common Mellana

From the second instar on, the changes in the caterpillar were very subtle. The hue of the body changed from green to a bronze shade, with a slightly darker dorsal stripe. Folds in the caterpillar's skin were also darker, giving it a banded appearance.

Most of the caterpillars were fed potted grass in a  netted container. They showed a decided preference for pupation at the bottom of the container (rather than in the leaf shelters on the dirt in the pot, although one did pupate in the leaf shelter).

These caterpillars took about 5 weeks to grow from egg to adult.

Common Mellana Page