THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. fi5 



for its discovery. The food-plant is Veronica virginica, which grows 

 sparingly in this section, and although a borer may have attained maturity 

 in its principal root, there is often no evident deterioration of growth. 

 Sometimes, however, the mature larva will have consumed so much of the 

 root at its crown, to provide itself with more commodious quarters, that 

 the stock will have died and become blackened, thus standing a mute 

 sentinel to all who are apprised of its secret. The young borer enters the 

 stem slightly above the ground level, where a small opening is made, 

 furnishing air and an outlet for accumulations which would otherwise 

 clog the gallery. Free access is kept up to this point until maturity, even 

 though the widely-extending roots permit the larva to bore a foot or more 

 in various directions. The roots are small for the habitation of such a 

 guest, and it is the extended mining which they do that often results in 

 the destruction of a specimen when the larvae are sought for transference 

 to the breeding cage. One never knows at what point to expect his 

 quarry, and a fatality often occurs. Aside from this the species seemed 

 to thrive very peacefully. The change to pupa appears to be made in the 

 neighboring soil, and the gallery is not used as an exit by the moth, though 

 this point has not been settled definitely, since no pupae were obtained in 

 the field. Larvae were encountered in second stage from the last. They 

 were quite as easily recognized as belonging to Hydrcecia as the preceding, 

 having the usual characteristics well in evidence. The colour is a pale, 

 sordid sienna; the lines dirty white; plates not strongly defined and the 

 tubercles less so. Specimens were so scarce that this period was insuffi- 

 ciently observed. 



Penultimate stage : Inflates were now secured and definite notes 

 taken. This next to last stage is the most important in making compari- 

 sons in this genus, as the individuality fades later into a very general 

 translucence, though of course the tnbercle arrangement and structural 

 details still point to their specific attributes. 



Larva now shows some points in common with its near ally cerussata, 



... -. 



though the size and colour are quite dissimilar. On the thoracic joints 

 the skin is puckered or creased, so as to appear slightly contorted, and all 

 tubercles or plates are well defined ; the anal plate, however, does not 

 show the departure occurring with its ally. 



Head measures .08 inch ; regular, smooth and shining ; of a honey- 

 yellow colour, the mouth-parts alone showing tipped with brown ; there 

 seems a full complement of setie, but the side or ocellar line is wanting. 



