THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 111 



in general appearance, but browner and easily separated when 

 fresh. Some variation exists, but it is not pronounced, and old 

 specimens seem to fade to an even, sordid brown tone. 



On larval observations the following is gathered from corre- 

 spondence with Mr. Kwiat. In 6". terebinthinaceum the larva 

 enters before the principal flowering stem has arisen, working 

 usually down through the lower stems of some subsidiary growth, 

 and, soon is in the root where it tunnels rather extensively about. 

 In old established plants the fleshy roots become tough and spread- 

 ing, and such are the more likely to be infested. "These roots 

 are certainly immense. We took up some which were fully a foot 

 in diameter, and eight or ten inches deep in the ground. In turning 

 up such roots, we found one pupa and five larva? ready to pupate. 

 These were under the root, and we observed that they eat through 

 the root into the soil for pupation. The proper time therefore to 

 get the species is July 15 to 25." Arriving at maturity at this 

 date would indicate the hatching period to be about the middle of 

 May. While parasitism was not observed in the later stages, a 

 fungous disease, however, claimed man\'. 



The associated insect fauna of these SUphium root clumps is 

 of interest. Mention need only be made of Hydroecia inimanis 

 Gn. as a decidedly unexpected occurrence, and of a curious dipteron, 

 an Ortalid which seems to be new. Thus immanis makes a radical 

 departure in this selection, as against the root crown of Hop, in 

 which it has so long been known to operate throughout the East. 

 The fact of the alternative food plant becomes of some economic 

 import, since it permits immanis to flourish where Hop might not 

 grow, and opens the question of a primitive food plant for this 

 species. It seems strange that plants so far removed in botanical 

 systematisations should both appeal to the taste of an insect so 

 discriminating as this one has proved to be in the past. Our 

 correspondents inform us they failed to encounter Hop in their 

 local observations so far. 



The following brief characterization may sufficiently place the 

 larva. 



Penultimate stage: Generically typical; head large, brown, 

 a black line at ocelli, plates hea\il>' chitinized, the cephalic wide 



