30 



[February, 



red and have but a few large facets. The legs and antennae are almost 

 colourless witlj a slightly dusky skin, and are covered with hairs 

 similar to those on the body. The club of the antennrc and the claws 

 are black. The rostrum is four- jointed, colourless, and with a black 

 tip. The ventral surface is destitute of the hairs which give such a 

 striking appearance to the rest of the body. The area between the 

 antennae is at first almost flat, and there is very little indication of the 

 frontal process which is so marked a feature in the adult, in which it 

 is longer and more pointed than in any other British species ; but it 

 becomes clearly visible before the end of this iustar. The length of 

 the body at disclosure is hardly 1 mm. ; but the insect grows rapidly 

 till it reaches a length of 2^ mm. before the first ecdysis takes place. 

 The movements and attitudes of tlie young insect are similar to those 

 of the adult, the body being raised considerably and balanced on the 

 legs as on springs. The above-mentioned apparatus of globe-tipped 

 hairs and black tubercles is discarded at the first change of skin, and 

 the insect remains henceforward destitute of them. Whatever may be 

 their function, it is confined to the first week of the insect's life. 



On June 27th I noticed the first cast skin, and this gives some 

 7 or 8 days for the first instar. The larva was now over 3 mm. long, 

 or more than three times its original length, which seems an extra- 

 ordinary amount of growth with only a single moult. In its second 

 instar the larva is very pale green, with a central white line running 

 from one end of the body to the other, and with the lateral margins 

 broadly whitish ; this colour becomes distinctly white in the three 

 thoracic segments. As already mentioned, tlie black spots and hairs 

 have disappeared, only a few small hairs being left at the extremity of 

 the abdomen. A thin dark line proceeds on each side from the red 

 eye to the end of the thoracic segments, just inside the white border. 

 The underside is white and the legs pale testaceous with a black ring 

 before the end of each femur. The antennae have the second joint 

 dark at the base and apex and the last joint black. The frontal 

 process is much more distinct. 



The second ecdysis was observed on July Gth, leaving an intei'val 

 of about nine days for the second instar. No change tak'es place in 

 the appearance of the lai*va after this moult, except that the frontal 

 promir.ence becomes still more marked. The colours also are more 

 distinct ; there is a white central line, dark green lines bordering this 

 on each side, and yellowish-green lateral border. In this third instar 

 the insect was 47, mm. long. 



