THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 125 



THE PREPARATORY STAGES 0¥ PHRAGMATOBIA ASSIM- 

 /Z^iV^ WALKER, VARIETY FRANCONIA SLOSSON.* 



• BY ARTHUR GIBSON, OTTAWA, ONT. 



On May 4, 1909, Mr. Horace Dawson, of Hymers, Ont., forwarded 

 to me some arctian larva? wliich he had found crawling on snow. These 

 larvre, with the exception of two or three, which were parasitized, and four 

 otliers which died, spun their cocoons and pupated during the journey to 

 Ottawa. Others which Mr. Dawson kept himself were making their 

 cocoons on the above date. The first moth, a male, from the larv?e sent 

 emerged during the morning of May 21, and I was delighted to see that 

 it was the variety franconia of PJiragniatobia assimilans. Before 3 

 o'clock of the same day another male had emerged, and also a female. 

 Other specimens emerged as follows : one on May 22, one on June 2, 

 one on June 3 and four on June 21. One of the males which emerged on 

 May 21, and the female, which issued the same diy, were put in a small 

 wooden box with sides of gauze; this was j^ilaced out of doors beneath a 

 large pine tree, and left there for two days, when it was brought into the 

 office and the female transferred to a small wooden pill-box. By May 26 

 a small batch of eggs was laid, and on May 28 another cluster was de- 

 posited. The eggs were laid side by side, not loosely, as is the habit in 

 Apaniesis, and were firmly attached to the side of the pill-box. The first 

 batch comprised 26 egg>, the second 23. From these, 40 larvae were 

 obtained, ihe first specimens hatching on June 2, and the last ones on 

 June 4. The following notes were taken on the egg, larval stages and 

 pupa : 



Egg. — 0.8 mm. in diameter, 0.7 mm. in height ; conoidal, rounded, 

 flattened at base : creamy-wliite, shining, reticulated. 



Stage I. — Length, 2.5 mm. General appearance dark at first, turning 

 greenish after feeding. Head 0.3 mm. wide, black, shining ; mouth parts 

 brownish. Thoracic shield dark brown, shining. Tubercles on body 

 large and conspicuous, with exception of i, which is very small ; all shiny, 

 pale brown in colour, and each bearing a long, slender, slightly barbed 

 liair. No markings on the body. Ventral surface and prolegs whitish, 

 the latter darkened in places. Thoracic feet pale brown. 



Some of the larv?e passed the first moult on June 8, the others soon 

 aftei wards. 



*Contributions from the Division of E^otomology, Oitawa. 



April. 1911 



