206 [September, 



(1901), aucl Spiiler (1910) do not extend the distribution. It lias 

 been found, as regards the British Isles, in but three localities, viz., 

 Isle of Purbeck (Dorset), King's Lynn (Norfolk), and " near Eedcar " 

 (either in Yorkshire or Durham). The larva feeds on Glaux mari- 

 tima ; an account of its life-history will be found in Ent. Mo. Mag., 

 Vol. XXXIII (2nd ser. VIII), pp. 5-7 (1897). e. r. b. 



June, 1911. 



NOTES ON THE EARLY STAGES OF NONAGRIA NEURICA, Hb., 



IN SUSSEX. 



by h. m. edelsten, f.e.s. 



(Plate IIIa). 



The capture of Nonagria neurica in England for the first time by 

 Mr. E. P. Sharp, in July, 1908 (Entomologist, xli, pp. 270-1), made 

 me hopefial that at last I might work out its early stages. Accordingly, 

 on June 5th, 1909, I went down to Sussex. Mr. Sharp met me and 

 most kindly took me to the locality. I thought the larva might feed 

 in the same way as that of N. arundineta, whose presence is apparent 

 l/y the withered top of the reed, and, sure enough, it did. 



At first we were put off l)y larvae of Nonagria geminijmncta and 

 Calamia j)/^rrt(/»^i'//(?^s, and the larva of some fly, but at last we found 

 a different larva that looked very like that of N. armulineta, except 

 that it was not quite so pink along the back. We managed to get 

 about two dozen between us, which produced imagines at the end of 

 July and early August. Eggs were laid on August 4th within the 

 sheathing leaf of a dead reed stem. The egg is of the usual Nonagrid 

 type, coin-shaped, with sides ribbed, about |-1 mm. in diameter. 

 Colour when first laid whitish, afterwards becoming greyish-ochreous. 

 They commenced to hatch on May lOtli. 



The fiill-fed larva noted on June 20th was 25 mm. long, of a shining dirty 

 white color, with a very faint tinge of pink in it. Segments tinted with violet 

 posteriorly. Head very deeply indented, color blackish-brown. Thoracic and 

 anal plate greyish-brown ; anal plate dotted with numerous tubercles. The 

 dorsal line is very faint, but the spiracvilar lines are dark grey, and show up 

 much more than the dorsal line. Pro-legs whitish, true legs greyisli-yellow. 

 The anal claspers are rather dark marked. The body is covered with numerous 

 tubercles, bxit they are not so distinct in the full-fed larva as they are in its 

 earlier stages. 



i When small it is most difiicult to distinguish from that of 

 N. geviirnpuncta. The larva is distinct from that of N. arundineta, 



