LIFE-HISTORIES. 801 



was not opened when food was changed, it ahiiost always made a fresh 

 one in the new material. This may have been unnatural, and 

 exhausted the larva; at any rate, on June 17th, it was found in such 

 a cocoon, in which it was supposed to have pupated, dead, with 

 some changes in proportions, shoAving pupation had been imminent. 



The larva is not very different in the three stages described, but the 

 three descriptions made under different circumstances may assist in 

 elucidating one another. The special spiracle-like tubercles are called 

 in the last description "lenticles," which is the name adopted by 

 Scudder for these curious developments in Erycinid and Hesperiid 

 larvfe. — T. A. Chapman, Reigate. June 25th, 1908. 



Queries as to the lifehistories of certain British Alucitids 

 — Information wanted. — Twice in one week have I been brought 

 up sharply, to acknowledge my absolute ignorance regarding cer- 

 tain of our Alucitids, both queries strangely enough having to do 

 with the way in which the species hybernate. In one case, I 

 was told by a lepidopterist, who ought to know, that he believed 

 the imagines of Eucnacniidophorns rhodudactyhi.t hybernated, in the 

 other case, I was asked point-blank whether I did not think Mimae^e- 

 optilus zopJiodacti/lus (loeirii) hybernated as imago. I have to confess 

 at once that I do not know anything about the matter, but I suspect 

 strongly that both species hybernate as mining larv», in the case of 

 the last-named as exceedingly small larvae. My suspicion rests, perhaps, 

 on slender enough grounds. In the case of E. rhododacti/lKs, the wild 

 imagines soon get worn after their emergence in July, they will lay 

 eggs at once in confinement, and die very quickly afterwards. In the 

 case of M. zopkodactylux, the imagines, too, appear to die very quickly 

 in confinement, and not to act as if they intended trying to live 

 throughout the winter following their emergence. The suggestion 

 that either could hybernate as eggs is to me too hopeless, I cannot 

 imagine a "plume" hybernating in this stage, and this leaves me with 

 the suspicion that both species hybernate as small (mining) larvae. Do 

 they ? I, myself, have also a puzzle in hand relating to another species. 

 All our text-books tell us that Awblyptilia acanthodacti/la hybernates as 

 imago. When I was at Bobbie in the Vaudois Valleys of Piedmont, 

 in August 1901, 1 found imagines of this species not at all uncommon ; 

 and one 2 , that I pinned and set, but did not leave sufficiently long 

 under the influence of ammonia to kill, so that it revived after being 

 set, laid eggs on the setting-board. This astonished me greatly, as I 

 should have supposed that the moth would, even under these conditions, 

 certainly not have laid her eggs so soon after emergence. It may be 

 that a later brood occurs there, but, if so, it must feed up quickly. I 

 have no doubt that Mr. Rothschild, Mr. Butterfield, and other lepi- 

 dopterists, could clear up the difficulty with regard to E. rhudodactijlas, 

 possibly Mr. Whittle, Mr. Sheldon, or ]\Ir. Bower could manage that 

 relating to M. zojjJiodactijlns, Avhilst, no doubt, Dr. Riding, Mr. Bankes,. 

 Mr. Richardson, or Mr. Atmore can settle my trouble concerning A, 

 acanthodactijla off" hand. — J. W. Tutt. 



Note on the egg, youn<; larva and foodplant of Melit.ea 

 thore. — As I believe the larva of Melitaea tliorc and its foodplant have 

 not been described, it may be worth recording that I found this insect 

 flying in some numbers near Pontresina last July. It was 

 excessively local, and, except one individual which I found elsewhere 

 by itself, they all frequented two patches of ground, some 300 yards 



