SOUTH AFRICAN BAGWORMS. 201 



were collected at IMahlabatini, Zululand, by Mr. J. Y. Gibson, 

 the then Resident Magistrate. Mr. Fuller mentions this 

 species in his Bulletin XIY of the Natal Department of 

 Agriculture in 1909, and gave it the popular name of The 

 Gribson's Bagworm after its discoverer. 



From the photograph it appears that the gregarious in- 

 stinct is developed in the later stages of the larval life, but 

 not to the same extent as in the Wattle Bagworm (Acan- 

 rhopsyche junodi Heyl.), where the bags actually touch 

 each other. It is also possible that this clustering together 

 is merely caused by the larvas seeking similar favourable 

 places for pupation 



Unfortunately no adults were bred from this material, and 

 the identity of the species remains in doubt. But the bag is 

 characteristically like those of other species of the genus 

 Manatha — at least, such as are known to me — so that for the 

 present we may feel safe in considering it to belong to this 

 genus. 



The bag of the full-grown larva measures 14 mm. in length 

 by 2^ mm. in diameter at its widest part near the top. It is 

 circular in cross-section, slightly wider near the upper end. 

 Here it abruptly narrows, and is attached to the twig by 

 means of a strand of silk, from 6 to 12 mm. long. The bag 

 tapers gradually towards the truncated lower end. The bag 

 consists of thin, but closely woven, white silk, and is covered 

 on the outside with minute grey particles. The nature of 

 these could not be ascertained, but they may be minute 

 pieces of the food-plant or, partly, excreta of the larva. At 

 the lower fourth this covering is much thinner, and here the 

 bag is closed by being put into several longitudinal folds. 

 At the upper end the bag-covering continues for about half- 

 way up the stalk, the stalk itself at the place of attachment 

 to the twig being spread out into a roundish fiat plate. 



From the material examined it appeared t hat the female fills 

 the bag with a thick mass of white silk, surrounding the 

 pupa, although no true inner bag is made, such as we see in 

 Acanthopschye junodi; in the male bags we did not find 



