254 THE ENTOMOLOGISTs's RECORD. 



Notes on the Pairing, Oviposition and Egg of Clirysophanus 



phlaeas. 



By J. W. HARRISON, B.Sc. 



Chrysophanm phlaeas is treble-brooded in Durham. Broodsappear in 

 June and September, and a partial brood in October and November. 



Pairing. — The species pairs about 11 a.m. A female was observed 

 to alight on a thistle plant (without flowers). Kaised abdomen and 

 vibrated wings ; the head furthest from ground. A 3 soon appeared 

 and alighted beneath $ , its head in same direction. The $ rather 

 coy ; 3 turned abdomen nearly parallel to thorax ; $ moved further 

 up thistle stem ; 3 followed and repeated process. This was repeated 

 three times, and copulation then took place. I found another pair at 

 11.30 a.m., in cop. on ragwort head; wings partly opened; both were 

 probing flowers. These pairs remained in cop. about 65 minutes. 



Oviposition. — This takes place in the afternoon. The female flutters 

 over litime.c acetosella, choosing plants on banksides, sides of ditches, 

 depressions of ground. It alights on the dock, and, keeping its Avings 

 partially opened, it curves its abdomen, and walks deliberately over the 

 leaf with the abdomen pressed against it. When it reaches a suitable 

 place (generally on midrib, near junction of petiole and leaf) it closes 

 its Avings with a jerk, deposits the ovum, flies ofl' and repeats the 

 process. The ovum generally is on upperside, as above described, but 

 I have found ova in nature on the underside, and on the petiole. The 

 ova are laid singly. (I once thought I saAv an ovum laid on 

 Eanunculus repens, in a ditch, but could not verify.) 



Ova. — When first laid the ova are faintly greenish, soon turning to 

 a faint green-gray, and then slightly brown, as the time of hatching 

 approaches. The eggshell is opaque and comparatively thick. The 

 ovum hatches in 5-21 days, depending on the temperature. The ova 

 vary greatly, but fall into two groups, those with small cells, and 

 those with a few larger ones. Those with small cells are the larger 

 ova, those with large cells are the smaller ova. Diameter, •4mm. 

 to •5mm. ; thickness, five-twelfths of diameter. 



Description of larger type of Ovum. — Ovum buttonshaped,?.^., like 

 a flat dome, and has the appearance of being honey-combed or sponge- 

 like. The bottoms of cells faintly greenish, and dotted and striated. There 

 are two (generallj') series of intersecting lines, which are Avhite and 

 undulating. These give rise to a series of polygons, mostly fairly regular 

 hexagons. These lines as they approach points of intersection ascend and 

 thicken, giving rise to a series of triangular pyramids. Some ova, owing 

 to the variation in size of polygons, do not have two series of lines, but are 

 marked with irregular polygons all over. Base, or attached area, green 

 and faintly cross-hatched. Micropylar area appears darker green to naked 

 eye, and is roughly polygonal and finely punctured. The micro pyle is sur- 

 rounded by an incomplete ring of very small irregular polygonal cells. 

 Next is a fairly complete ring of nine cells, mostly pentagons, one- 

 eighth area of average cell area. Then we have cells produced by the 

 intersecting lines as above. Some of these are heptagonal where they 

 adjoin two of the ring cells. 



Description of smaller type of Ovum. — The micropylar area is as 

 above. Following this are only two rings of cells, all hexagons ; in 

 the first ring, 7 cells, and in the next ring, 10 cells. These smaller 

 ova are thicker and more convex than the first form. 



