THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 117 



LIFE-HISTORY OF MARGARODES FLEGM, CR. 



BY HARRISON G. DYAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



This West Indian Pyralid occurred to me on the cemetery grounds in 

 Key West, Florida. The larva was destructive to a large bush ( Thevetia 

 neriifolia), commonly planted there for ornament. The larva webs up a 

 group of the narrow leaves into a tube, and eats the parenchyma from 

 within, thus destroying much foliage and rendering the plants unsightly. 

 The proper name of the species appears to be : 



Parotis flegia, Cram. 



1775 — PhaI(Tna-Pyralis flegia, Cramer, Pap. exot. ii., 66; pi. 140, 

 f. D. 



I S3 2 — Pkalcena-Pyralis flegia, Poey, Cent. Ins., Cuba. 



1827 — Margaronia virginalis, Hiibn., Verz. bek. Schmett., 358. 



1854 — Margarodes flegyaiis, Guen., Delt & Pyral., 310. 



1854 — Margarodes phantasmalis, Gue'n., Delt & Pyral., 310. 



1854 — Paradosis vil/osa/is, Zeller, Lep. Cafitr., 58. 



1859 — Margaronia flegyaiis. Walker, Cat. Brit. Mus., xviii., 520. 



1898 — Glyphodes flegia, Hampson, Proc. Zool. Soc, London, 732. 



Eggs. — Not observed, but probably laid in a mass, as the young 

 larvpe are gregarious. 



Stage I. — In a slight web on the back of a leaf, many together. 

 Head about .3 mm., very pale brownish. Body translucent, green, the 

 food showing green, the tubercles dusky, shining ; i. to v. present, no sub- 

 primaries ; on the thorax ia + ib, iia4-iib, iv. single, anterior; cervical 

 shield with six setae, prespiracular tubercle with two. There is a faint 

 trace of an orange-coloured subdorsal line. 



Stage II. — Head about .6 mm., pale brown. Body transparent 

 green, with large black tubercles, thesubprimary ones now present. Body 

 slender, shining, the tracheal line visible and a trace of the broad orange 

 subdorsal band, seen only with a lens near the extremities at first, later 

 distinct but broken. 



Stage III — Head about .9 mm. Like the mature larva, pale blue, 

 though looking of a dirty green from the food showing through the trans- 

 parent skin. 



Stage /F. — Head 1.4 mm. The same. 



Stage F. — (Interpolated.) Head pale brownish, shining; primary 

 seue present ; width r.7 mm. Body subtranslucent pale blue, shining, a 

 broad, deep orange stripe between tubercles ii. and iii., absent on joints 2 



