SOUTH AFRICAN BAG WO RMS. 587 



South African Bagworms. 



Editorial Notk. 



The study of South African bagworms presents many points 

 of great scientific and economic interest; and it is hoped that 

 there may be published in this Journal a series of papers 

 which will treat on the structure, life-histoi'ies, and bionomics 

 of the various forms. 



It should be remembered that "bagworms" do not con- 

 stitute a natural group of insects ; they belong to several 

 families of moths, and they are here dealt with together on 

 account of the habit which the larvae have in common of 

 providing for themselves a case or bag in which they live 

 during active life and in which pupation occurs. 



Certain marked resemblances in structure and instinct 

 may be observed in the various forms belonging to different 

 families ; and investigation is necessary in order to determine 

 whether these are due to phylogenetic relationship, or are 

 examples of convergence arising through like needs imposed 

 by a similar environment. 



The rapid change in the habits of certain indigenous insects 

 in attacking the exotic Black Wattle is a menace to the rising 

 wattle industry of Natal, and at the present time bagworms 

 are the most serious of the insect pests which infest the trees. 

 The investigation of these insects has been deputed to Mr. 

 C. B. Hardenberg, Government Entomologist ; and his paper 



