SOME INSECT ENEMIES OF THE BEE. 439 



the central third. This shield is crossed by a central dorsal light-colored 

 line which passes on to the head, when it soon forks and extends to the base 

 of each jaw. It also bears a few white hairs. Below this shield on each 

 side, just in front of the spiracle, is a piliferous dark spot. Six rows of sim- 

 ilar spots extend the entire length of the larva. The six spots divide the 

 dorsal portion of each segment into nearly equal parts, though the dorsal 

 space is a little broader. The lower spots on the thoracic segments are in 

 front of the spiracles; on the other segments, below them. On the third 

 from the last segment, the middle of the three spots is larger, and has a cen- 

 tral white spot. The two dorsal spots run together on the two last rings in 

 most of the larvse. The under side of the body is light-colored. 



The pupa is formed in a slight cocoon of light-colored silk in the cells of 

 the comb. Very likely, if not confined it would leave the comb and seek 

 some crevice or other concealed position. It is 5-16 of an inch long, and of 

 the usual form and color. 



The imago, Pig. 2, or mature insect, is a prettty little moth, and is accu- 



I , rately represented as to size, form, and markings, by the 



figure. It is ^ an inch long, and expands 11-16 of an 

 inch. The base of the primary, or front wings, is straw 

 color, while the opposite ends for something more than 

 Fig. 1. one-half their length have brown and dark scales inter- 



mingled, so the color is brownish purple. The brown 

 prevails almost exclusively at a small central area, form- 

 ing a brown spot. Two less distinct brownish spots are 

 seen just back of this spot near the internal margin, the 

 inner one being the larger. Two indistinct brownish 

 lines extend parallel with the outer margin of these 

 wings. The outer margin is fringed with dark gray. 

 _, 2 The posterior, or secondary wings, are light-colored, with 



Ephestia interpuncteiia » satin-likc reflection, and broadly fringed with the same 

 —Larva and Moth, color. The thorax and abdomen are colored like the sec- 

 ondary wings, except that there are more dark scales, which slightly shades 

 the color. The eyes are black; the head and antennae dark gray, with a 

 ■distinct bluish reflection. 



These moths, like the common, or old bee-moth, Galleria cereana. Fab., 

 belong to the family Pymlidce, or snout moths. They are so named because 

 of their projecting palpi, which, as they reach out in front of the head, look 

 not unlike a snout or nose. These palpi are marked features of all moths 

 and butterflies, or, as we may say, of all lepidoptera. They are the mouth 

 organs that usually curl up beside the tongue or maxillae, of such insects, 

 reminding us somewhat of whiskers. In these pyralids they project forward 

 instead of curling up. 



As already stated, these insects feed only upon the bee-bread, or pollen, 

 and will probably do little harm, except where they work on the surplus 

 comb honey. They will become more and more common, and will attract 

 most attention after hard winters, when unused combs lie thick about the 

 apiary. 



A NEW BEE ENEMY. 



Mr. W. J. Ellison, of Stateburg, S. 0., sends me a bug which sucks the 

 blood and life from his bees. As I have never heard of this bug as a bee- 



