Vol. XXlv] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 225 



that find the fermenting frass a proper environment, another 

 appears to be a Trypetid whose larva keeps among the frayed 

 and broken leaf tissues. This same fly has been noted associ- 

 ated with Papaipema nebris, when the latter was boring corn. 

 No parasites have been detected. The winter is passed in the 

 egg stage without doubt, though this and the first larval stages 

 were unobserved, and the species is single-brooded. The lar- 

 vae were first met May 10, and the following stages observed : 



Stage IV ? Head small, rounded, pale yellow, a dark spot at ocelli. 

 Thoracic joints small compared to middle, as is anal extremity; sutures 

 deep ; color is whitish translucent, each segment except the first and 

 twelfth showing a contrasting ring or girdle of purple brown on the 

 anterior half, giving a peculiar and characteristic ringed appearance. 

 The cervical shield is wider than the head, the anterior edge marked 

 heavily and the posterior, rounded portion, penciled lightly in black; 

 tubercles normal, do not show clearly on the dark rings, similar through 

 last four stages ; setae well developed for a borer ; legs sixteen. 



Stage V ? No change. 



Penultimate stage. The purple rings not so dark, otherwise no 

 change. 



Last stage. Color of rings fades perceptibly, and are lost ventrally; 

 tubercles not large, black; on joint two Xa and Xb seem defined in 

 a small dark area but are without setae; la, Ib, Ila and lib small but 

 bear stiff setae, IV is largest, the size of a spiracle; on joint ten IV is 

 very low down, and on eleven I and II enlarge, III and Ilia are separ- 

 ate, and on twelve I and II are fused, III, IV and V appear separated, 

 all closely preceding the anal shield ; leg-plates prominent and facing a 

 little anteriorly; crochets on prolegs on joint nine number fourteen. 



Length for the four stages : 14, 22, 28, 34 mm. respectively. 



The pupal change does not occur in the gallery, but under 

 a slight depth of soil. The pupa is very active, of brown color, 

 surface shining, no frontal development, cremaster two sharp 

 straight spurs. 



Pupation occurs June 8-14, the moths emerge June 28 to 

 July 6. 



Comparing these larvae with the allied genera Hydroecia 

 and Papaipena, they come closer to the former in their pecu- 

 liar ringed coloration, which finds duplication in the similar 

 larval pattern of H. iinmanis and micacea. 



There is little doubt that this colony of ryensis has flour- 

 ished many years at its present station. Both they and their 



