F. R. COLE 15 



to be fine dark erect bristles between the eggs are larvae. "Webs 

 of orb weavers are often seen in the branches. The larvae are 

 three to four millimetres long, dark brown and with numerous 

 bristles. There is no head proper and eleven segments in all, 

 each segment projecting over the next following a little. The 

 larva normally holds fast by the clasping apparatus and stands 

 out straight from the branch, pulling its body together if dis- 

 turbed and moving forward with the support of the springing 

 bristles, although it can crawl or move by. stretching." Brauer 

 found some of the larvae fastened on Poclurids with the clasping 

 apparatus. Konig gives a full description of the larva. The 

 mouth-parts are spoken of as complicated and hard to work with, 

 and they are singularly like those of Bombylid and Xemestrinid 

 larvae, if one can trust in comparison the drawings by Brauer. 

 This is very important in the establishment of the systematic 

 position of the family. 



Mr. J. L. King gives the most complete life history yet pub- 

 lished, in his article on Pterodontia flavipes Gray (62). The pupa 

 has no setae or spines except a V-shaped crest on the head, and the 

 various adult parts are defined. The abdomen has eight seg- 

 ments, the anterior three each bearing a pair of elevated spiracles. 

 The pupa of Astomella Undenii, as figured by Brauer, has a prom- 

 inent head and no crest of spines. The abdomen shows seven 

 segments, with spiracles on the anterior six, and the thorax bears 

 a row of spines on the mesonotum. ^lalloch has described the 

 pupa of Ogcodes costatus from a pupal exuvium which was in 

 rather bad condition (97). There are no spines on any part and 

 the thorax has a wart-like protuberance on each side of the disc 

 anteriorly. The abdomen has wart-like protuberances on the 

 spiracular areas of segments one to four. 



Mr. J. L. King, in the above mentioned paper, recorded the 

 oviposition of Pterodontia flavipeson the trunks of old hickory 

 trees. One female laid 2,300 eggs in forty-five minutes, the 

 largest total number being 3,977. The eggs were .18 mm. long 

 and .15 mm. wide, pear-shaped, slightly compressed and black. 



In the early summer of 1915 I was able to get some notes on 

 Opsehius diligens O. S. while at Pasadena, California. On June 6, 

 I placed a female in a glass jar and she at once'commenced laying 

 eggs, discharging them rapidly from the ovipositor, even when on 



TRANS, am'. ENT. SOC, XLV. 



