312 TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



parallel to one another in a single row, the whole enveloped in 

 loose white silk and attached to a willow leaf. 



A bunch of weathered cocoons, of a dirty whitish color, found 

 on a willow leaf — probably found in the same locality with the 

 above near St. Louis — are peculiar for having the cocoons 

 arranged in a double row, just like the cells in a honey-comb. 

 From these cocoons I have bred flies which have unfortunately 

 been much broken, but they have the peculiar polished thorax of 

 smermthi, and agree otherwise as far as the imperfection of the 

 specimens will permit of comparison. 



Apanteles acronyct.-e, n. sp. (Riley MSS., 2d Rep. Ins. Mo., p. 120). 

 Length 2\ mm. S- Black; labrum and mandibles testaceous, palpi whit- 

 ish, antennae piceo-testaceous ; legs light red, posterior coxae black; wings 

 hyaline, the tegulse piceous, nervures and stigma testaceous; lateral edges 

 of the first and second joints of the abdomen, and the sides of these joints 

 beneath, testaceous. Mesothorax shining, uneven behind, there being one 

 or two shallow pits before the scutellum caused by the union of the lateral 

 oblique grooves, although these grooves are not clearly defined and are 

 not apparent anteriorly. Metathorax granulated or finely reticulate, with 

 an indistinct median ridge. First and second joints of the abdomen con- 

 fluently punctate, opake ; remaining joints smooth and shining. The radial 

 vein arises beyond the middle of stigma and passes into the basal vein of 

 the areolet quite evenly. 



Differs from congregaius and agrees with smen)ithi in its shining 

 mesothorax, but differs from the latter in the mesothorax being 

 uneven, in the opake basal joints of the abdomen, and in the lack 

 of red marks on the third joint. 



Described from nine speciinens bred from larvae of Acrotiycta 

 populi* taken at Bloomington, 111. The maggots issued Sept. 

 15th, the flies Sept. 23d. "Many of the Acronycta larvas wiien 

 full grown will fasten themselves firmly to a leaf in the curled 

 position, and from the body will issue from thirty to forty little 

 maggots. These maggots are each of them 0.17 inch long, of a 

 dull green color, lapering each way, with a dark dorsal mark, a 

 lateral elevated ridge, and a row of shining elevated spots of the 

 same color as the body between the ridge and the back. Each 

 one spins a mass of white silk around its body and creeps out of 

 it and commences spinning afresh, until at last a large aggregate 

 amount of flossy silk is spun, into which the maggots work back 



* A. poptili 'RW&y = A. Liipitscidina Gn. 



