17(3 [Jiinuaiy, 



toiiclied, and have a very powerful and nasty odour, somewhat re- 

 sembling that given out by certain Semiptera. Along some of the 

 road-sides, I noticed that some of the hedges had quite a withered look, 

 to such an extent had the leaves been devoured. The larvae are found 

 as late as the end of October. 



Another destructive larva this year has been Nematus pavidus, 

 Lep., == Wttewaalli, Voll. In several localities I noticed willows 

 (generally Salix caprea) nearly denuded of their leaves by the 

 voracious larvae of this species. Like the larvae of D. stilata they 

 have a powerful odour and feed quite exposed, flinging the body 

 in all directions whenever anything approaches. N. miliaris, Pz. 

 {viridis, H.), is likewise frequently injurious to willows, but I have 

 never seen it make such a clean sweep of the leaves as N. pavidus. 

 The larvae of LopTiyrus pint have been unusually abundant here this 

 autumn. I observed one small fir with many hundred larvae on it. 



Croesus latipes, Vill. (see Ent. Mo. Mag. xii, 228).— Mr. J. E. 

 Fletcher, of Worcester, has fortunately succeeded in breeding this 

 species, and I have also bred it from larvae sent to me by that 

 gentleman, so that now there can be no hesitation in adding this 

 insect to our lists. Latipes may be known from septentrionalis by its 

 smaller size, the smaller clouded band in the anterior wings, the wings 

 in septentrionalis being clouded from the stigma to the apex, whilst 

 in latipes there is only a small cloud below the stigma, while again the 

 posterior femora are reddish-brown underneath, these in septentrionalis 

 being quite black on the under surface. 



Our three species may be tabulated thus : 



A.— Fore--wing more or less clouded. 

 Fore-wing distinotly clouded from stigma to apex ; femora black uudcinieath. 

 $ antennae black ; apex of abdomen black. — septentrionalis. 



Fore-wing with only a small faint cloud below the stigma, unclouded at apex ; 

 posterior femora reddish beneath. (J anteniise brown beneath at the apex ; apex of 

 abdomen entirely brownish-red. — latipes. 



B. — Foi'c-wings unclouded. 

 Femora reddish above and beneath, black at apex. — varus. 



Nematus ahhreviafus, Hartig, Blatt- und Holz-wespen, 205. — In 

 the collection of Dr. Sharp I find a specimen of this species, taken by 

 him in Bracmar. The larva feeds on the apple ; cf. Von Vollenhoven, 

 Tijds. Ent., 2nd Ser. iii, 20G, pi. 10. 



Nematus imperfectus, Zaddach, 8chr. Gcs. Konigsb. xvi, p. 80. — 

 Tliis recently described insect is British. It belongs to the capreae, 

 (= Kirhyi., Thoms.) grouj), and is very difficult to separate from 

 caprece, although I dare say it is a good species. 



