Dec, igis.] Lloyd : New York Trichoptera. 203 



Limnephilus combinatus Wlk. 



Larval Habitat. — We have found the larvje of this species in only 

 two localities ; Michigan Hollow, about seven miles south of Ithaca, 

 and McLean, about eighteen miles to the north. At Michigan Hol- 

 low they inhabit the slowly flowing spring-fed stream which flows 

 out of an upland swamp. This stream contains little or no vegeta- 

 tion, except the thick grass along its border. The larvae occur most 

 abundantly where the stream flows through an open meadow below 

 the swamp, but are also found in the swamp itself, where alders and 

 hemlocks form a dense thicket to the very borders of the stream. 

 Their habitat at McLean is also a spring-fed stream with slow cur- 

 rent, but flowing through an open deciduous forest. This stream 

 contains grass and other vegetation along its edge and its bottom is 

 strewn with fallen leaves. Both streams are less than five feet 

 across ; the one at Michigan Hollow is two or three feet deep while 

 the depth of the one at McLean does not exceed a few inches. 



Larva Habits. — During their early life the larv?e frequent the 

 grass and sedges which fringe the edge of the stream, as the time for 

 pupation draws near the larvae wander from the edges of the stream, 

 where marsh grass abounts to the middle of the stream where living 

 vegetation is entirely absent. Here they attach the front end of the 

 case firmly to some solid support, as a stick or stone. Oten many of 

 these pupae are found congregated on a single small stick, while on the 

 other sticks in the region they are entirely absent. 



Food of the Larvje. — The food consists, apparently, entirely of 

 vegetable matter. Several stomachs from specimens taken at dif- 

 ferent periods of late spring and early summer were examined. 

 These contained only the tissue of higher plants, but it seems prob- 

 able that during the cold weather, when diatoms abound, that these 

 may compose a considerable portion of the diet of this species. 



Period of Emerging. — This species is one of a very few Trichop- 

 tera known to us which emerge during a long period. On May 22 

 there were pupae in the stream but no empty cases were found. On 

 June 7 the first specimens in captivity emerged, but at that time there 

 were many empty cases in the stream. From June 7 until July 22, 

 when the last captive specimen emerged, their transformation in the 

 cages was of almost daily occurrence. On the latter date, however, 

 there were still many pupae in the stream, and also a few prepupae. 



