22 [JaiiiKiry, 



The most interesting question is, whether Plusia moneta will keep the newly- 

 gained ground, or whether it will lose it again in the course of years. — Attgust 

 Hoffmann, Devrientstrasse, 3, Hanover, Germany: November 2.1th, 1890. 



Description of the larva of LHhocolletis anderidce, Fletcher. — At the kind in- 

 vitation of the Rev. O. P. Cambridge, Mr. E. R. Bankes and I went to stay with 

 him at Bloxworth for a few days at the end of October last to look for mines of 

 Lithocolletis anderidce. 



We found a good many mines in the birch, but from the size and general ap- 

 pearance of most of them, I fear that we, or I at all events, have chiefly been 

 successful in collecting L. iilmifoliella. I have, however, some mines which I feel 

 sure are those of L. anderidcB, and a few of these I have sacrificed in order to describe 

 the larva of tills species, which I found no difficulty in distinguishing from ttlmi- 

 foliella, as will be seen by the following description : — 



Length, If lines. Head almost black towards the sides, with the central part 

 light grey, and two longitudinal blackish lines proceeding to the mouth from a point 

 near the top; tips of jaws and palpi reddish-brown. Body uniforiidy yellowish- 

 green, rather transparent. Legs almost transparent, with inconspicuous grey rings 

 at the joints. When first taken from its mine the dorsal vessel is bright green, 

 owing to the presence in it of undigested food, and this gives the larva the appear- 

 ance of being greener than it really is. As the food passes through the colour of 

 the larva seems to fade until it is decidedly more yellow in tint, the dorsal vessel 

 being still a little darker. A few almost colourless hairs are perceptible under the 

 microscope. The head is slightly narrower than the last segment, and not more than 

 half the width of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th segments, which are considerably larger 

 than the rest, and present a swollen appearance, the 3rd segment being the widest 

 of all. The 5th segment is distinctly narrower than the 4th, and the body thence is 

 cylindrical to the 9th segment inclusive, whence it tapers very slightly to the end. 



This larva may be distinguished from that of L. ulmifoliella by its smaller size 

 and more slender appearance, and by the absence of the yellow spot, which is so 

 conspicuous (until the larva is about to change to pupa, when it is merged in the 

 opaque yellow colour, which the whole body then assumes) on the 9th segment of 

 Zi. ulmifoliella. It does not make even a slight cocoon like ulmifoliella, and the 

 mine is smaller (see 1890, p. 213). The pupa is brown, and rather less than I5 lines 

 in length. — Nelson M. Ricuaruson, Montevideo, near Weymouth : Nov. Vlth, 1890. 



A query as to kil/enialion. — Of those insects that hibernate in the perfect state 

 some are fertilized in the autumn and only the females survive the winter ; others 

 are fertilized in the spring, both sexes passing through the winter. In the Aculeate 

 Hymenoptera the former appears to be the rule, obtaining in T'espa, Bombus, Apa- 

 thus, Halictus, and also in honey bees and ants, so far as they can be regarded as 

 hibernating rather than as perennial, that is, the fertile ? survives the winter, the 

 (J does not. Are there any instances known of the male hibernating in Aculeate 

 Hymenoptera ? In Lepidoptera both sexes survive the winter, and fertilization 

 takes place in the spring. I know this to be so in Qonepteryx rhamiii, V. urticce, 

 lo, Atalaiila, c-album, O. vaccinii and {spadicea?), S. satellitia, S. libatrix, Xylina 



