IIH liEI'OBT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION 



Africa it is found in Baluchistan, India, Ceylon, Cliina and Japan. In the Anglo-Egyptian 

 Sudan it occurs fairly commonly in the south, but until this year it had not been recorded 

 from the northern provinces. 



The larviB were taken early in March of this year in a small water channel — locally 

 known as a gudwal — on the estate belonging to the Sudan Plantation Syndicate, Ltd., at 

 Zeidab, Berber Province. The water was for the most part overgrown with a covering of 

 green slime, and if this was cleared away a few larvse could generally be seen on the 

 surface. On stirring up the mud at the bottom and edges of the water, more would 

 appear, while if one waited for an hour oi- so specimens would continue to rise. They 

 were apparently living in the mud at the bottom of the pools and coming periodically to 

 the surface to breathe, for they could be seen rising to the surface by a lashing motion, 

 and if left undisturbed would, after a few seconds, sink out of sight again. 



Some forty odd larva;; of various sizes were taken on ilarch 9 and placed in a jar 

 containing water, slime and hollow grass stems — most of these had disappeared by the 

 next morning, the larger ones having devoured their smaller brethren. On ^Mareh 10 more 

 than a hundred were secured, and, together with the survivors from the previous day, 

 divided among three jars — only three jars were available — two containing wet mud and 

 the third water with hollow grass stems and other debris. Earthworms were provided 

 as food but were not taken very readily: — the larvte seemed to prefer to eat eacli other. 

 I.arvas of They were brought to Khartoum on March 11, and the following morning each of the 



. , ii.cinaiu^ thirty-three, which was still living, was placed in a separate jar containing clean river- 

 sand and water. They fed freely on tiny earthworms, but their numbers steadily decreased 

 until about April 16, when the thirteen survivors, having attained maturity, ceased to 

 feed. Up to this stage, if the sand in which they were living was allowed partially to 

 dry out, they became very restless until water was given them again, but hereafter they 

 preferred sand which was only slightly damp. In appearance as well as habits they 

 altered considerably at this stage of their existence. While young and growing they 

 possessed well developed pseudopods and conspicuous dark dorsal markings — now', however, 

 their pseudopods became small and in colour they apijeared uniform yellowish-white. 



These thirteen larvae were left undisturbed until April 26, when one specimen was 

 washed out and found to have pupated — probably within the previous two days as the 

 eyes had not begun to show the colour which they acquired later. On the following day, 

 by carefully picking over the sand, two more pupae were discovered. Prior to pupating, 

 tlie larva; had made a number of tunnels in the sand, and the pupa^ were lying in a more 

 or less upright position in the tunnels and near the surface. 



On April 28, I left Khartoum and was absent travelling in the provinces until May 30, 

 by which date one larva had died and twelve completed their life-cycles, producing eight 

 females and four males. The first had emerged on .\pril 29 or 30, so the period passed 

 in the pupal stage was probal)ly about six days. 



llencriptinnf: — 



Iiiiiiiahiri' hirni (Plate V., figs. 1-3) — Length, 18 mm. Colour yellowish-white 

 with dark markings composed of pubescence. Mandibles dark brown to black, 

 slightly serrated. Anterior margins of the meso- and nieta-thoracic segments dark 

 except on the venter. A ring of pseudojjods, eight in each ring, — two dorsal, 

 two lateral, four ventral — on the anterior third of each abdominal segment except the 

 Immature eiglith. Well developed except the dorsal pairs on tlie first and second segments, and 



slag"-' bearing spines or hooks. Spines are also situated between the pseudopods on each 



