1900.] 59 



A GALL-MAKING COLEOPHORA [STEFANII, de Joannis]. 

 BY THE RT. HON. LORD WALSINGHAM, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S., &c. 



A superficial acquaintance with the genus Coleopliora, Hb., im- 

 presses us with the idea of a uniform habit among its larvge. We 

 think of them as case-bearers, and it scarcely occurs to us to seek for 

 any other mode of life than that which distinguishes the well-known 

 species occurring in our own country. The publication in the Bulletin 

 de la Societe Entomologique de France, 1899, 331-3, of a communica- 

 tion by M. I'abbe J. de Joannis enlightens us as to the peculiar habits 

 of a species of this genus which appears to differ from all its congeners. 



This new species, described under the name Coleopliora stefanli, 

 forms true galls on the stems of Atriplex halimus, these galls being 

 made by the swelling of the branch at one side, causing it to assume 

 the form of a large case, such as those made by several of our species ; 

 but this gall is not detached from the branch, and continues to throw 

 forth small leaves at its apex during the life of the larva in its interior. 



C. stefanii is described as being allied to hotaurella, Mschl., and 

 serinipennella, Chr. ; it is straw-yellow, having an enlarged basal joint 

 to the antennae, which are scaled to their middle. The wings are 

 sprinkled with ochreous scales, without paler or darker lines along the 

 veins, and have an elongate blackish-brown spot on the disc at the 

 extremity of the cell — the figure which accompanies the description 

 indicates a second smaller spot half-way between this and the base. 

 The author refers to the peculiar habits of another species, ar^i/rella, 

 H -8., which Christoph [Stett. Eut. Ztg., XXVIII, 245-6 (1867)] 

 describes as living in the stems of Alharji camelorum, but spinuino- 

 two immovable protruding cases formed of frass and grains of the 

 food-plant, within the larger of which it pupates. G. salicornice, Wk., 

 cuts off a piece of the stem of its food-plant, using it as a case and 

 attaching it to the stem in which it feeds, but this species leaves its 

 case and pupates in the earth. Goniodoma, which can scarcely be 

 separated from GoJeophora, mines and pupates in the stem itself, 

 making no case. Thus it is apparent that more diversity of habit 

 may be looked for in the genus Coleopliora than has yet been generally 

 recognised, and the process of the gradual evolution of the case-bearing 

 habit seems to be distinctly indicated. 



So far as can be judged from the figure and description, G. stefanii 

 appears to be very closely allied to serinipennella, Chr., and to squa- 

 lorella, Z. ; not being acquainted with the former of these species, 

 except from the figure and description [II or. Soc. Eut. Eoss., IX, 

 36-7, PL II, 32 (1872)] I am unable to say in what points they may 



